AGARTALA, Feb 6 (IANS): Some professors and assistant professors of colleges and universities have refused to be micro-observers in the Feb 14 assembly polls in Tripura, citing the 'protocol' hiccup that they are being equated with lower category employees.
"Equating university, college and NIT (National Institute of Technology) professors and assistant professors with the class three and group D categories employees in the appointment of micro-observers is not desirable," Tripura NIT director P.K. Basu told reporters here Wednesday.
The Election Commission has appointed 30 general observers, 10 expenditure observers and eight police observers, besides over 2,000 micro-observers from among the IAS, IPS, IRS and central government employees to oversee the entire election process in Tripura.
"We are taking action against a college teacher who has written directly to the commission expressing his reservation about the selection procedure of micro-observers and another professor who spoke to the media on this issue," an Election Commission official told IANS.
"Election Commission is a constitutional body and everyone must follow its decisions. We have told the professors' organisations that the commission is looking into the matter," the official added.
The poll panel has decided to appoint the observers to monitor whether candidates are exceeding stipulated limit of expenditure, violating any poll model code of conduct and causing any ethnic or law and order problem during the elections to the 60-member Tripura assembly.
