The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday summoned West Bengal Chief Secretary Manoj Pant to New Delhi by Wednesday evening to clarify the reasons action was not taken and FIRs not lodged against Bengal officials, despite the ECI’s directives to suspend four Bengal officials and a casual worker, who were allegedly involved in ER related irregularities.
The letter has been sent by ECI to Pant and that he has been summoned was confirmed by a top ECI official. Pant will be travelling to Delhi tomorrow, people in the know said.
On August 5, ECI had directed Pant to suspend four Bengal officials and the data entry operator, lodge FIRs against four officials and a casual worker and start departmental proceedings.
The West Bengal government violated ECI's order for suspension of four officials, including two WBCS officials.
Nabanna sources said it was decided that Pant will go to Delhi on Wednesday to appear before the ECI.
On August 5, the ECI had directed the chief secretary to suspend two EROs and two AEROs for committing “grave lapses” and “failing to perform their duties”, violating the policy of data security by sharing their login credentials of the ER database with unauthorised persons. ECI had then directed the chief secretary to suspend the four officials, lodge FIRs against them and start a departmental enquiry against them. Similar action was to be taken against a casual worker as well.
In a letter to the ECI, Pant had written yesterday that “the services of Sudipta Das, PAAO, Tamluk block and AERO, 206-Moyna AC and Surojit Halder, the data entry operator, 137 Baruipur Purba AC, have been withdrawn from electoral revision and election-related duties.”
“You will kindly appreciate that district-level officials and field officers have a wide range of functions assigned to them by their appointing authorities, in addition to the electoral roll revision works and other election-related works which are time-bound. Therefore, there are occasions where certain functions are delegated to subordinate staff in good faith,” Pant clarified in his letter.
The tussle between the ECI and the West Bengal government escalated further on Tuesday after the state government yesterday withdrew an AERO and a data entry operator from election duty. The state government had withdrawn an AERO and a data entry operator from election duty yesterday. The ECI had directed chief secretary Manoj Pant to suspend four officials and a casual worker, lodge FIRs and the data entry operator, lodge FIRs against them and start departmental proceedings.
The letter has been sent by ECI to Pant and that he has been summoned was confirmed by a top ECI official. Pant will be travelling to Delhi tomorrow, people in the know said.
On August 5, ECI had directed Pant to suspend four Bengal officials and the data entry operator, lodge FIRs against four officials and a casual worker and start departmental proceedings.
The West Bengal government violated ECI's order for suspension of four officials, including two WBCS officials.
Nabanna sources said it was decided that Pant will go to Delhi on Wednesday to appear before the ECI.
On August 5, the ECI had directed the chief secretary to suspend two EROs and two AEROs for committing “grave lapses” and “failing to perform their duties”, violating the policy of data security by sharing their login credentials of the ER database with unauthorised persons. ECI had then directed the chief secretary to suspend the four officials, lodge FIRs against them and start a departmental enquiry against them. Similar action was to be taken against a casual worker as well.
In a letter to the ECI, Pant had written yesterday that “the services of Sudipta Das, PAAO, Tamluk block and AERO, 206-Moyna AC and Surojit Halder, the data entry operator, 137 Baruipur Purba AC, have been withdrawn from electoral revision and election-related duties.”
“You will kindly appreciate that district-level officials and field officers have a wide range of functions assigned to them by their appointing authorities, in addition to the electoral roll revision works and other election-related works which are time-bound. Therefore, there are occasions where certain functions are delegated to subordinate staff in good faith,” Pant clarified in his letter.
The tussle between the ECI and the West Bengal government escalated further on Tuesday after the state government yesterday withdrew an AERO and a data entry operator from election duty. The state government had withdrawn an AERO and a data entry operator from election duty yesterday. The ECI had directed chief secretary Manoj Pant to suspend four officials and a casual worker, lodge FIRs and the data entry operator, lodge FIRs against them and start departmental proceedings.
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