Kolkata, March 29 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced on Sunday the transfer of 83 block development officers (BDOs) and assistant returning officers (AROs) in West Bengal, amidst the crucial state assembly elections scheduled for next month.
In a statement sent to West Bengal Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala by the ECI through the office of the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the poll panel provided a list of the 83 BDOs/AROs who have been transferred.
The most significant transfers were those of the BDOs/AROs of the two blocks under the Nandigram assembly constituency in East Midnapore district, where the incumbent Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, Suvendu Adhikari, is the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
This time, Suvendu Adhikari is contesting from Nandigram and also from the Bhabanipur assembly constituency in Kolkata against the Trinamool Congress candidate and the West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee.
According to the list provided by the Commission, the maximum number of BDOs/AROs have been transferred from East Midnapore district, which is also the native district of the Leader of the Opposition, Adhikari.
A total of 14 BDOs/AROs have been removed from East Midnapore, followed by 11 in South 24 Parganas district, seven each in North 24 Parganas and East Burdwan districts, and six each in Malda and Birbhum districts.
In addition, four BDOs/AROs have been transferred in Jalpaiguri district, three in Cooch Behar district, five in Nadia district, four each in Murshidabad and Hooghly, two in West Midnapore, six in Birbhum, four in Bankura, three in Purulia, and one each in North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Howrah, and West Burdwan districts.
Since the announcement of the two-phase polling for West Bengal next month on March 15, the Commission has periodically issued transfer orders of bureaucrats and police officers at different levels.
The transfer process started with the top-ranking bureaucrats, like the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, and Director Generals and Additional Director Generals in the case of police.
In the second phase, there were transfers for mid-level officers like District Magistrates in the case of bureaucrats and Deputy Inspector Generals, Superintendents, and Deputy Commissioners in police administration.
Now, the third and final phase of transfers for the lowest levels in the administrative pyramid, such as additional district magistrates, sub-divisional officers, and block development officers (in general administration), and additional superintendents, deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, assistant commissioners, and inspectors (in police administration), have begun.
The two-phase assembly elections in West Bengal are scheduled for April 23 and April 29.
In the first phase, polling will take place in 152 assembly constituencies, and in the second phase, polling will take place in the remaining 142 assembly constituencies. The results will be declared on May 4.