Kolkata, Aug 11 (PTI) The West Bengal government on Monday informed the ECI that it has removed two of the five officials identified for committing “irregularities” in preparing electoral rolls from active election duty, but did not suspend them as directed by the poll panel.
Any disciplinary measure on state government officers who have “consistently demonstrated sincerity and competence” would be “disproportionately harsh”, West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant wrote to the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The letter did not mention any action taken against the three other officers previously identified by the ECI.
The state government’s move was interpreted by the opposition BJP as an “act of defiance” against the poll panel.
The commission, on August 5, had announced its decision to suspend four officials – two Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) – and a casual data entry operator in West Bengal for allegedly committing irregularities while preparing electoral rolls in Baruipur Purba and Moyna assembly constituencies in South 24 Parganas and Purba Medinipur districts respectively.
It directed the chief secretary to lodge FIRs against all five accused and sought an action taken report from the top bureaucrat at the earliest.
Two among the five state government employees – Debottam Dutta Choudhury and Biplab Sarkar, operating as EROs – identified by the Commission as ‘offenders’, are officers of WBCS (Executive) rank.
The government on Monday removed the two personnel – Sudipta Das, AERO, Moyna AC, and Surajit Halder, data entry operator at Baruipur Purba AC – from electoral revision and poll-related duties as “a first step”, instead of suspending them as directed by the poll panel earlier, while initiating an “internal inquiry into the issue”, Pant said in his letter.
The chief secretary wrote that the state has also undertaken a “comprehensive review of the existing processes and procedures” governing the “conduct of the said exercise”.
The response from the top bureaucrat of the state to the ECI was shot off within two hours of the deadline, 3 pm on Monday, set by the poll panel in a fresh notice on August 8, to execute its order of suspending all four officers, lodge police cases against them and submit an action taken compliance report.
“You will kindly appreciate that district-level officials and field officers have wide range of responsibilities and functions assigned to them by their appointing authorities, in addition to the electoral roll revision works and other election-related works which are time-bound tasks. Therefore, there are occasions where certain functions are delegated to subordinate staff in good faith,” Pant’s response to ECI secretary Sujeet Kuman Mishra read.
“In light of the above, it is submitted that initiating proceedings before a detailed enquiry, against officers who have consistently demonstrated sincerity and competence may be a disproportionately harsh measure,” the letter went on to add.
The chief secretary said that suspending the officers in question and lodging FIRs against them could have a “demoralising impact not only on the individuals concerned but also on the broader team of officers” engaged in electoral responsibilities and other administrative functions.
“Further action taken report will be submitted post completion of enquiry,” Pant stated.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had questioned the Commission’s jurisdiction and legality of the move while alleging that the BJP was using the ECI to “intimidate state government officers”.
“We will not suspend them… We will protect you. I will continue to be your ‘pehredar’ (guard),” Banerjee said at a public meeting in Jhargram last week, while tearing into the poll panel, and accusing it of functioning like “bonded labourers” of the BJP.
President of the BJP’s West Bengal unit, Samik Bhattacharya, accused the state government of acting at the behest of the ruling Trinamool Congress.
“This is a clear act of defiance against a Constitutional authority and will lead to the crumbling down of the country’s democratic set-up on which the foundations of our institutions are based,” he said.
The WBCS (Executive) Officers’ Association had also written to the chief secretary seeking his intervention to get the order “reviewed”.
“The suspension… appears to be a harsh measure and has caused deep concern among the officer community, potentially affecting morale during a period when dedication and neutrality in public service are most needed,” the officers’ body wrote. PTI SMY NN
Category: Breaking News
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