EC issues instruction for postings and transfers of officials

The Election Commission today issued detailed guidelines to the chief secretaries of states regarding postings and transfers of officers in view of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.
Punjab's Chief Electoral Officer Raminder Singh said instructions had been issued that no officer connected with elections, directly or indirectly, should be allowed to continue at the present district of posting if she or he was posted in her/his home district or if she/he had completed three year in that district during the past four year or would be completing three year on or before May 31.
The state government has been asked to follow strictly the cut-off date and accordingly three year period may be reckoned backward from May 31.

The CEO clarified that these instructions cover not only officers appointed for specific duty like district election officers, deputy election officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers but also other district officers like additional district magistrates, deputy collectors, SDMs, Tehsildars, BDOs or any other officer proposed to be deployed for election work.
Clarifying position regarding police officers, Singh said that these instructions would be applicable to Range IGs,DIGs, Commandants of state armed police, SSPs, SPs, additional SPs, Sub Divisional Head of Police, Inspectors or equivalent rank who are responsible of deployment of police force in the district during elections.
Police officers who are posted in fictional departments like computerisation, special branch training are not covered under these instructions.