On March 21, the Election Commission of India (ECI) issued transfer orders for non-cadre officers holding leadership positions as District Magistrates (DM) and Superintendents of Police (SP) in four states: Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, and West Bengal.
The transfer orders affect SPs in Chhota Udaipur and Ahmedabad Rural districts in Gujarat, SSPs in Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar Rural, and Malerkotla districts in Punjab, DM in Dhenkanal, and SPs in Deogarh and Cuttack Rural in Odisha, and DMs in Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman, and Birbhum districts of West Bengal.
Additionally, the Commission directed the transfer of SSP Bathinda in Punjab and SP Sonitpur in Assam due to their familial ties with elected political representatives. The EC stated that these transfers are preemptive measures to ensure the impartiality and credibility of the administration.
The EC instructed the respective state governments to promptly carry out these transfers and submit a compliance report.
Earlier, on March 18, the Election Commission had ordered the removal of Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation Commissioner Iqbal Singh Chahal and other officials of the Mumbai civic body. Despite the Maharashtra government’s request to exempt Chahal and others citing their importance during the upcoming monsoon season, the EC appointed Bhushan Gagrani as the new Mumbai municipal commissioner.
The EC also directed the removal of several officials in Gujarat, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal, including Bengal police chief Rajeev Kumar. Additionally, Home Secretaries in Bihar, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand, along with the Secretary of the General Administrative Department in Mizoram and Himachal Pradesh, were removed.
Meanwhile, India is gearing up for the Lok Sabha Polls 2024, scheduled to begin on April 19, with vote counting set for June 4.