A fresh confrontation appears to be brewing between the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the West Bengal government over the interpretation of “suspension” in the case of electoral officers found guilty of violating guidelines during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
The dispute centres on whether suspension applies only to electoral duties or extends to all administrative responsibilities.
The West Bengal government has backed the chief minister’s position that suspension, in this context, merely entails removal from electoral assignments. According to the state’s view, the officers concerned may continue to serve in other administrative roles under the state government.
However, officials in the office of the chief electoral officer (CEO), West Bengal, contend that the ECI’s directive was unambiguous. Suspension, they said, is not limited to withdrawal from election-related work but also includes removal from any administrative posting.
Bengal SIR: 20 lakh voters’ documents pending re-verification by DEOs“Besides suspending a section of the electoral officers, the ECI has also directed the state government to initiate departmental proceedings against such officers,” a CEO office insider said. “The question is how fair and unbiased those proceedings can be if the officers continue in their respective administrative positions.”
According to the official, the commission is closely monitoring whether the state government initiates the mandated departmental inquiry. The state is required to submit a compliance report confirming that such proceedings have begun.
“If the compliance report is not received within a reasonable time, the commission will decide on the next course of action,” the insider added, indicating that further intervention by the ECI remains possible.
Political observers note that even if the state maintains its interpretation of suspension as limited to electoral duties, the matter may not end there. Once the Model Code of Conduct comes into force ahead of the Assembly elections scheduled in West Bengal later this year, the ECI’s authority to initiate penal action would expand significantly.
Under the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, the commission could proceed with stricter measures if it determines that its directives have not been fully implemented.
So far, the ECI has suspended two electoral registration officers (EROs), nine assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs), one data-entry operator, and three micro-observers for alleged violations of SIR guidelines. Of these, the three micro-observers are officials of the central government, while the remaining suspended personnel are employees of the West Bengal government.
The unfolding disagreement underscores the increasingly tense administrative backdrop ahead of the state’s assembly polls, with both sides holding firm on their interpretation of the commission’s authority.
With IANS inputs
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