Election Commission of India rejects govt’s proposal to transfer Ludhiana DC

Nitin Jain

Tribune News Service

Ludhiana, November 16

In a major blow to the state government, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has rejected its proposal to transfer the Deputy Commissioner of Ludhiana, Varinder Kumar Sharma.

With this, the incumbent IAS officer will continue on the post.

The development assumes significance as the government’s move to post Amarpal Singh, considered a ‘blue-eyed boy’ of the former Chief Ministers Parkash Singh Badal and Capt Amarinder Singh, as new Ludhiana DC had stirred a major controversy here.

The main Opposition, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), had smelled foul play behind the government’s proposal. They had alleged that it belied the Congress’ promise to provide ‘corruption-free’ regime and was aimed at hampering the process to ensure free-and-fair Assembly election due early 2022.

Both the Opposition parties had separately moved the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the government’s proposal. They had also threatened a mass agitation in case the present Ludhiana DC, Varinder Kumar Sharma, was transferred.

Taking cognisance of the issue, the ECI examined the matter at the highest level and decided to strike down the government proposal.

Conveying the decision, the ECI Under Secretary, Navin Kumar, sent a communication to the Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, a copy of which is with The Tribune, stating, “I am directed to refer to your letter dated 12.11.21 regarding transfer/posting of officers and to say that the Commission has not acceded to the proposal of transfer/ posting proposed therein. The same may be conveyed to the state Government of Punjab.”

As per the ECI guidelines, the prior approval of the commission is mandatory in case of any need for the transfer of any officer engaged in the revision of electoral rolls during an election year due to any extraordinary reasons.

The row had erupted after the government sent a proposal seeking prior nod of the ECI to replace Sharma with Singh, who was presently posted as State Transport Commissioner (STC).

The Opposition parties had alleged that the incumbent DC was being ‘targeted’ for working against the interests of the land mafia and wrongdoings involving the senior leaders of the ruling Congress.

In a representation to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), they had submitted that the present DC was being transferred at the behest of the state government as he had angered the ruling party leaders for stalling the sale of a prime government land at throwaway prices and ordering an inquiry into the wrongdoings of a local Congress MLA.

“His actions have been exemplary, which have angered certain ministers and ruling MLAs, who now want to transfer him out without ascertaining any extraordinary reason as mandated by the ECI,” the AAP Ludhiana Lok Sabha in-charge, Amandeep Singh Mohi, had told a press conference here on Sunday.

Apprehending that the government’s move smacks of ulterior motive, the Opposition parties had alleged that the ‘controversial’ officer recommended to be posted as new Ludhiana DC was close to the former CMs, one of whom had pardoned him in the multi-crore iron ore scam in 2017 and the other had promoted him to the IAS.

They had urged the CEC to reject the proposal sent by the state government and order continuation of the incumbent officer as Ludhiana DC to ensure free-and-fair Assembly elections due early next year.

Controversial officer

The then CM, Parkash Singh Badal, a day before the imposition of election code of conduct on January 2, 2017, had ‘let off’ PCS officer Amarpal Singh with a warning “to be careful in future”, following which former CM Capt Amarinder Singh had recommended his promotion to the IAS and later posted him as STC. Badal’s pardon was not only contrary to his previous order to impose major penalty against the senior IAS and PCS officers found guilty of causing loss of more than Rs 23 crore to the state exchequer.

Earlier, then Chief Secretary, Rakesh Singh, had endorsed major penalty on IAS officer Kirpa Shankar Saroj and PCS officer Amarpal Singh as recommended by the departmental inquiry conducted against them.

The case dates back to 2004-05 when during the Congress regime, New Delhi-based Reliance Polycrete Limited (RPL) duped Punjab Agro Foodgrains Corporation (PAFC) of more than Rs 23 crore in the export of iron ore.

Swerving from its basic and mandated agro foodgrain business, the PAFC had entered into an agreement with the RPF on April 30, 2004, for export of iron ore. Worse still, the PAFC had also ignored the legal advice of getting the mortgage deed submitted by the RPL, registered.

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