Last Updated:
The letter said taking ‘premature and harsh’ action before the enquiry’s completion could be demoralising, especially for officials who generally demonstrate sincerity & competence
EC sources said in the past three months, all District Election Officers, EROs, and other officials had been instructed to exercise extreme vigilance, with written undertakings taken to that effect. (PTI)
The West Bengal administration has not implemented the Election Commission’s (EC) directive to suspend and file FIRs against two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and a data entry operator over alleged irregularities in the processing of Form-6 applications for revising electoral rolls in AC No. 137 Baruipur Purba and AC No. 206 Moyna.
In a letter to the Secretary of the Election Commission of India, the Chief Secretary of West Bengal detailed that an internal enquiry and review have been initiated into the matter. The letter argued that taking “premature and harsh” action against the officers before the enquiry’s completion could be demoralising, especially for officials who have generally demonstrated sincerity and competence.
As an interim measure, two officials—Sudipta Das, PAAO, Tamluk Block and AERO, 206-Moyna AC, and Surojit Halder, Data Entry Operator, 137 Baruipur Purba AC—have been withdrawn from electoral revision and election-related duties. The Chief Secretary assured that a detailed action-taken report will be submitted after the enquiry is completed.
The letter also highlighted that district-level and field officers handle significant workloads, often delegating tasks to subordinate staff in good faith. It suggested that launching disciplinary proceedings at this stage would be unnecessarily severe.
The response was expected, as chief minister Mamata Banerjee had publicly stated last week that her administration would not suspend the officers in question. However, the EC’s order was not limited to suspension; it also directed that an FIR be registered against them.
Sources within the EC told News18 that in the past three months, all District Election Officers (DEOs), EROs, and other officials had been instructed to exercise extreme vigilance, with written undertakings taken to that effect. “Even after such measures, how could this happen?” a senior EC source asked.
The poll body had written a strongly worded letter on August 8 to the Chief Secretary, questioning why its order had not been implemented.
According to sources, the EC is unlikely to be satisfied with the Chief Secretary’s reply, and the letter could trigger further consequences. Experts say the Officers’ Association may also move court, potentially setting the stage for a legal battle.
Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East…Read More
Kamalika Sengupta is the Editor (East) at CNN-News18 / News18.com, focusing on politics, defence, and women’s issues. She is a seasoned multimedia journalist with over 20 years of experience reporting from East… Read More
view comments
Read More
