PTI Image
Guwahati, Mar 21: Ahead of the Lok Sabha elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) transferred district police chiefs in Assam and Punjab who are kin or have familial association with the elected political representative on Thursday.
The polling agency transferred Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Bathinda in Punjab and Superintendent of Police (SP) Sonitpur in Assam, shunting out ‘non cadre’ district magistrates and superintendents of police in some states.
“The officials in these two districts have been transferred as pre-emptive measures to dispel any apprehensions of administration being biased or perceived to be compromised,” the EC said.
Adopting a tough stance against posting of non-cadre officers at leadership positions, eight SPs/SSPs and five DMs in four states (Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, West Bengal) have been transferred by the polling agency.
It further instructed the respective state governments to promptly transfer non-encadred officers from their current roles as DM and SP/SSP, with immediate effect, and submit a compliance report to the Commission.