New Delhi, February 10 Ahead of the assembly elections likely to be held in April in four states and a Union Territory, the Election Commission has asked the concerned governments to transfer officers posted in their home districts, a routine step taken before elections.
In a letter to the chief secretaries of Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Kerala, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry on Monday, the poll authority said that officers directly involved in the conduct of elections in a state or Union Territory should not be posted in their home districts or places where they have served for a considerable period.
The poll body noted that the terms of the legislative assemblies of the five states and the Union Territory are ending on different dates in May and June.
The EC is mandated to hold the elections before the end of the term of the House so that a new assembly is constituted before the present House's term concludes.
The poll authority clarified that government doctors, engineers, teachers or principals who are not involved in elections are exempted from the EC's transfer policy regarding poll-bound states.
"During an election, a large number of employees are deployed for different types of election duties, and the Commission has no intention of causing massive disruption of the state machinery through large-scale transfers," the EC said.
"Therefore, the transfer policy is normally not applicable to categories of officers, including those posted in the state headquarters of the concerned department and officers appointed as Sector Officer/Zonal Magistrate involved in election duties," it said.
"Furthermore, it is directed that officers/officials against whom the Commission had recommended disciplinary action in the past, and which is pending or has resulted in a penalty, or officers who have been charged for any lapse in any election or election-related work in the past, shall not be assigned any election duty," it said.
It is usual for the poll panel to issue instructions related to the transfer of officers ahead of Lok Sabha and assembly elections.