WB Govt reinstates officials removed by the EC

The West Bengal Government today reinstated its seven senior officials who were removed from their posts early last month on the directive of Election Commission, to their previous postings.
The decision was taken after a high-level meeting at the state secretariat Nabanna today, sources said.
The Election Commission today withdrew the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) allowing the state government to go ahead with development works or issuing any notification in this regard.
Complying with the Election Commission's order, West Bengal Government had removed these officials from their existing posts and appointed new officers at their place as desired by the poll panel ahead of the first phase election.

The state government, however, categorically said in the transfer order that all these officers would be brought back to their previous posts after the election process was over.
In a stern message to the election officials in West Bengal, the Election Commission removed DM of the North 24-Parganas district Sanjay Bansal and the SPs of five districts Malda, Murshidabad, Burdwan, Birbhum, West Midnapore and Jhargram police district from poll duties following complaints against them.

The EC also directed the chief secretary that the state government might give posting to the removed official in non-election and non-field posts.
The removed SPs included R K Yadav of Malda, Humayun Kabir of Murshidabad, S M H Mirza of Burdwan, Bharati Ghosh of West Midnapore and Jhargram police district (Dual charge).

Besides, ADM West Midnapore district Arindam Dutta and the Returning Officer of Mathurapur parliamentary constituency Alokesh Prasad Roy were also removed by the Commission.
With this the officials who replaced their removed colleagues would go back to their own places, sources said.