Lok Sabha election: SSPs of 5 Punjab districts transferred

New Delhi, March 21

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The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday ordered immediate transfers of several non-cadre officers who are posted at leadership positions as District Magistrate (DM) and Superintendent of Police (SP) in four states, namely Punjab, Gujarat, Odisha and West Bengal.

The posts of DM and SP in the districts are encadred for officers from Indian Administrative and Indian Police Service, respectively, a statement issued by ECI said.

The move has been initiated to ensure a level-playing field for the ongoing exercise for Lok Sabha elections.

In Punjab, the SSPs of Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar Rural and Malerkotla districts as well as the SSP Bathinda have been transferred with immediate effect.

Apart from these, the ECI has ordered transfers of the following officers: SP of Chhota Udaipur and Ahmedabad Rural districts in Gujarat, DM of Dhenkanal and SPs of Deogarh and Cuttack Rural districts of Odisha, DM of Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman and Birbhum districts of West Bengal, and the SP of Sonitpur district in Assam.

The Sonitpur SP and Bathinda SSP have been transferred by the ECI in view of their kinship or familial association with the elected political representatives. The officials in these two districts have been transferred as pre-emptive measures to dispel any apprehensions of administration being biased or perceived to be compromised, the ECI sources said.