BJP requests CEC to annul massive bureaucratic reshuffle in Bengal

Kolkata, Oct 27 The West Bengal unit of the BJP has requested the Election Commission of India (ECI) to initiate an annulment of the mass bureaucratic reshuffle in the state ordered by the Mamata Banerjee government on Monday afternoon.

The announcement for the mass reshuffle, which includes District Magistrates, Additional District Magistrates, Sub-Division Officers, and Block Development Officers, was made just a couple of hours before the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, announced the dates of the Special Intensive Revision (SIRs) for 12 states in the country, including West Bengal, which is going for Assembly polls next year.

Shortly after the dates of SIR for these 12 states were announced, the West Bengal unit of the BJP forwarded a communication to the CEC and the two Election Commissioners, where it claimed that since the officers transferred would be involved in the SIR, such transfers were irregular and in complete violation of the ECI guidelines of ordering these transfers without the approval of the poll commission.

“We also draw your attention to the continued violation of the ECI guidelines by the Government of West Bengal and request strong communication from your end, including annulling these irregular transfers,” the communication read.

However, the state government had stated that such transfers were already on schedule and only their announcements were pending because of the festival season holidays.

However, contrary to the explanations of the state government, the transfer announcements were made on a holiday only since the Bengal government had declared holidays both on Monday and Tuesday.

The transfers ordered by the state government include that of 17 Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, which include ten District Magistrates (also the district Electoral Officers) of ten districts.

The transfer of 17 IAS officers, especially 10 District Magistrates in one go, was unheard of at least in the recent past, said a senior bureaucrat of the state government.

Bureaucratic circles feel that once the SIR dates are announced, there could be some technical difficulties in the transfer of the bureaucrats, especially the District Magistrates, since the latter also act as the district Election Officers.

The ECI had already made it clear that once the revision exercise started, the state government would not be able to transfer electoral officers at all levels.

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