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| Row Over Election Duty: RO gives assurance, ARO seeks explanation | | | Early Times Report
Jammu, Apr 6: The Assistant Returning Officer (ARO) Kathua has sought explanation from 120 employees, including two dozen gazetted officers, for remaining absent during a training programme held on 2 April.
The officers stayed away from the programme after the Returning Officer (Deputy Commissioner) assured them that they would not be posted for election duties as they had requested him not to post them as subordinates to non-gazetted officers during elections.
Its in place to mention here that the Early Times in its edition of April 2 had carried a story titled, "Election officer Kathua asks juniors to supervise Gazetted officers" explaining about the posting of gazetted officers as Polling officer (1,2,3) while juniors to them as Presiding officers (POs) which was in violation of norms of Election Commission of India, which directed the authorities to depute officers as per their grade.
Over two dozen gazetted officers had called on Deputy Commissioner Kathua, who is also Returning Officer for elections as well as ADC not to post them subordinate to junior officers. The DC assured them that they won't be assigned any election duty
Despite assurance by the DC, Assistant Returning Officer Kathua sought explanation from over 120 government officials, including over two dozen gazetted officers for remaining absent and asked them to report DC office at 10 AM, officials informed Early Times, adding that when they reached there the ARO was not in his office.
Sources said that ARO has also sought explanation from some employees, who had attended the training session of April 2 and had written proof with them. "The RO has also sought explanation from even some specially-abled employees, which is in violation of ECI norms as there are sufficient employees in Kathua, who can be deputed for the election duties. There is too much of confusion and there seems no coordination among the employees," sources added.
"The grade pay of an Associate Professor is above the grade pay of an IAS officer but they have been posted as subordinate to wardens and other employees. It's sheer humiliation", another official said, adding that a wrong precedence has been created by some election officials, deputed for taking care of elections.
Deputy Election Officer did not respond to the repeated calls. |
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