As it gears up to hold Assembly polls in five states in the next few months, the Election Commission (EC) has directed the chief secretaries of Mizoram, Chhattisgarh, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana to transfer the officials directly connected with elections who are posted in their home districts and those who have spent three of the last four years in one district.

In a letter written on June 2 and addressed to the chief secretaries of the five states, the poll panel has reminded them that while the term of the Mizoram Assembly ends on December 17, the terms of the Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Madhya Pradesh and Telangana assemblies end on different dates in January next year.

The commission said it has been following a "consistent policy" that officers directly connected with the conduct of elections in a poll-bound state or Union Territory are not posted in their home districts or places where they have served for a considerably long period.

"Hence, the commission has decided that no officer connected directly with elections shall be allowed to continue in the present district (revenue district) of posting if she/he is posted in her/his home district," it said in the letter.

The policy will also apply to those who have completed three years in that district during the last four years or would be completing three years on or before December 31 in the case of Mizoram and January 31, 2024 in the case of Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Telangana.

The poll panel made it clear that these instructions will also be applicable to police officers such as range IGs, DIGs, commandants of the State Armed Police, SSPs, SPs, additional SPs, sub-divisional heads, SHOs, inspectors, sub-inspectors, sergeant majors or of equivalent ranks, who are responsible for the security arrangements or deployment of police forces in the district at election time.

"It is further directed that the officers/officials against whom the commission had recommended disciplinary action in the past and which is pending or which has resulted in a penalty, or the officers who have been charged for any lapse in any election or election-related work in the past shall not be assigned any election-related duty," the letter said.

The commission also said no officer or official, against whom a criminal case is pending in any court, be associated with or deployed on election-related duty.

It is usual for the poll panel to issue such directions ahead of Lok Sabha or Assembly polls to ensure that officials do not interfere in the election process in any way and the exercise remains free and fair.

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