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| ECI takes serious note, asks JK Govt not to violate norms | | NC takes refuge in transfers ahead of polls | | Early Times Report
SRINAGAR, Oct 24: After failing to persuade the Centre to postpone the forthcoming assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir the National Conference led coalition government in the recent past has ordered major reshuffle in the state administration, despite its another ally Congress openly castigating it and asking the Election Commission of India to keep an eye over the "transfer industry" in the state.
Sources told Early Times that ECI has taken a strong note of the frequent transfers being ordered by the NC government and has expressed its displeasure. "The ECI has conveyed it to the state government that ordering frequent transfers when there is possibility of elections being announced violates the ECI guidelines," sources said.
They said that ECI has told the state government that till the final call over the poll dates is taken it should ensure that no reshuffle is ordered in the state administration.
A politician alleged that transfers in police and civil administration which were recently ordered were aimed at serving the political interests of the ruling party. "The transfers were done so that officers, both police and civil, could serve the interests of the ruling party during the forthcoming elections," he alleged.
An insider said that ruling party was taken by a surprise when the Chief Electoral Officer designated the District Development Commissioners as Returning Officers. "The CEO's move prevented the state government from putting its own men on key positions before the forthcoming polls," he said, adding that "The National Conference was left red faced when it's another partner Congress objected to the posting of Mukhtar-ul-Aziz as Director Information. Under pressure his transfer was cancelled."
Sources said that Aziz is very close to the ruling National Conference and could have "misused" the state's Information department for the benefit of the ruling party in the coming elections. "Congress, People’s Democratic Party and Bharatiya Janta Party have conveyed it to the ECI that ruling party is trying its best to manipulate the official machinery for its own benefit ahead of elections," they added.
Pertinently, NC's coalition partner Congress was the first party in the state to come up with a detailed statement on the "transfer industry" of the state.
National Spokesperson of the Congress Party Salman Anees Soz in a statement had urged the Election Commission of India (ECI) to closely monitor the implementation of the JK Government's order related to transfers of staff in various departments.
"The ECI has not yet decided timing for the Assembly elections in J&K. But, as elections approach, there will be opportunities to seek political gain from all sorts of government processes, especially transfers. It is commonly acknowledged that JK has a notorious transfer industry in which political patronage and corruption flourish. In the run-up to elections, this can worsen. It is important, therefore, that the Government's order is implemented in a transparent manner and in accordance with policies established, as the Government order itself lays out," Soz had said in a statement.
He had said that if the ECI does not step in, there is every reason to believe that some candidates who have access to the corridors of power would try to benefit either monetarily or politically and damage the prospects of candidates who are without such access. |
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