New Delhi, December 18
The Election Commission today took strong objection to the creation of Satyamev Puram and appointment of the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police by the Haryana Government in view of the model code of conduct coming into force following the announcement of the poll schedule.
The 90-member Haryana Assembly goes to the polls on February 3.
Objecting to the posting of the District Magistrate and the Superintendent of Police in the “new district”, the commission in a strongly-worded letter to the Haryana Chief Secretary said “these officers shall not take over the charge of new posts without Election Commission’s prior approval.”
The Haryana Government’s orders, the commission said, were “totally against” the ban on transfer of election-related officers in the state.
It sought “full facts” regarding the creation of Satyamev Puram district leading to its announcement on the day the elections have been announced by the commission along with the details of other appointments and charges, if any, “by return fax”.
The commission said it had been brought to its notice that a new district, Satyamev Puram, had been created by the state government and Anurag Aggarwal, IAS, who is the Deputy Commissioner of Gurgaon, had been directed to take additional charge of the newly-created district.
Besides, Mata Ravi Kiran, IPS, who is SP (Crime Branch), has been appointed as Superintendent of Police of the new district.
“These orders are totally against the above mentioned ban on transfer of election-related officers in the state,” the letter said.
Referring to its yesterday’s order regarding application of the model code of conduct in the state, the commission said “you are aware that with the announcement of election schedule... to the Legislative Assembly of Haryana, transfer of all election-related officers has been totally banned”.
The commission had, however, asked the state governments to transfer police officers of the rank of Sub-Inspector and above engaged in maintenance of the law and order and Sergeant Majors from their home districts.
They should not be allowed to continue in the same district if they had completed a period of three years in that district during the past four years and all those officers who were charged or transferred for any misconduct or lapse while performing election-related duties in the past.
