EC bans transfer of DMs from Oct to January

Special summary revision of electoral roll

The Election Commission of India has banned the transfer of district magistrates, along with the staff engaged in the special summary revision of electoral roll, in all states and Union Territories except Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh from October 1 to January 5, 2013.

Along with the DMs, who are designated district election officers, the ban will be applicable on transfers of deputy district election officers (additional district magistrates), electoral registration officers (sub-district magistrates) and assistant electoral registration officers (tehsildars and nayab tehsildars).

ECI secretary Narendra N Butolia has sent a communication to this effect to the chief secretaries of states and administrators of UTs. Chief electoral officers of the states have been asked to keep the state governments informed of the changes, if any, made in the revision programme subsequently.

"During the summary revision, DMs and other roll revision-related staff can be transferred from their places of posting only in special circumstances after obtaining permission from the EC, which will consider such proposals on a case-to-case basis," said Umesh Sinha, CEO of UP. Sinha has forwarded the EC directive to the principal secretaries of all departments in the state government.

Transfers arising from regular promotions of probationers of all-India services as well as state civil services have, however, been kept out of the purview of the ban. The cases of transfer of the booth level officers can be decided by CEOs.

The commission has said that no officer against whom the commission has recommended any disciplinary action or against whom a criminal case is pending in any court of law would be associated with election work or electoral roll revision.

Those attaining 18 years on January 1, 2013 can apply for inclusion of their names in the photo-electoral roll during the summary revision. In Gujarat and Himachal Pradesh, the revision of rolls will take place after the Assembly polls.

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