The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued directives for the transfer and posting of officers involved in the upcoming elections in Haryana, Jharkhand, Maharashtra, and Jammu and Kashmir. These instructions, detailed in a letter to the Chief Secretaries and Chief Electoral Officers of these states and UT, stipulate that officials directly connected with election duties should not be posted in their home districts or in places where they have served for an extended period.
According to the ECI, officers who have completed three years in their current district during the last four years must be transferred. Additionally, any official reaching the three-year mark in their state/UT by the specified dates—September 30 for J&K, October 31 for Haryana, November 30 for Maharashtra, and December 31 for Jharkhand—should be relocated.
The transfer guidelines apply not only to officers on specific election duties but also to district officers, divisional commissioners, municipal commissioners, and similar ranks directly deployed for election-related work. The police department and the prohibition and excise department officials are also included in these transfer orders, except those in functional departments like computerisation and special branches.
The ECI has requested compliance reports from the respective Chief Secretaries and DGPs by August 20. This move is part of a broader effort to ensure a fair and impartial election process. The Supreme Court has set a deadline of September 30, 2024, for completing the election process in Jammu and Kashmir.
