7,06,489 new voters to exercise franchise in 2019 Lok Sabha polls in Assam

ECI issues directive to transfer civil & police officials by February 28

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: The State Election department is gearing up to hold the Lok Sabha elections with 7,06,489 new voters (in between 18 to 19 years of age) enrolled in the latest photo electoral rolls in Assam. At the same time, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a directive to ensure that no officer is posted in her/his home district and to also transfer officers (related directly with election duty) completing more than three years during the last four years in a particular place of posting.

The ECI has further directed that the transfers and postings of all officers should be done by February 28. Further, the State Election Department will have to furnish the ECI the compliance reports with details of action obtained from the departments and offices concerned of the State Government by the first week of March.

The Department, as per the directive of the ECI, had published the final photo electoral roll, 2019 for Assam on February 6.

As per the latest photo poll rolls, the total electors in Assam are 2,17,60,604. Of them, male voters are 1,11,32,782 while female voters number 1,06,27,822.

In the last electoral roll of 2018, the total voters were 2,12,47,854. Therefore, there is an increase of 5,12,750 voters in the 2019 electoral roll compared to that of 2018 indicating a rise of 2.42 percentage.

Meanwhile, the ECI has decided that “no officer connected directly with elections shall be allowed to continue in the present district of posting under two clauses: If she/he is posted in her/his home district; and if she/he has completed three years in that district during the last four years or would be completing three years on or before May 31, 2019.”

These instructions shall cover not only officers appointed for specific election duties like DEOs, Dy. DEOs, RO/AROs, EROs/AEROs, officers appointed as nodal officers of any specific election work but also district officers like ADMs, SDMs, Dy. Collectors/Joint Collectors, Tehsildars, Block Development Officers or any other officer of equal rank directly deployed for election work.

These instructions shall also be applicable to the Police department officers such as Range IGs, DIGs, Commandants of State Armed Police, SSPs, SPs, Addl. SPs, Sub-Divisional Heads of Police, SHOs, Inspectors, Sub-Inspector, RIs / Sergeant Majors or equivalent ranks, who are responsible for security arrangement or deployment of police forces in the district at election time.

While implementing the instructions or while transferring officers, the departments concerned of the State Government will have to ensure “that they are not posted in their home districts. It shall also be ensured that no DEO/RO/ARO/ Police inspectors/Sub-inspector or above is posted back or allowed to continue in the AC /district where he/she was posted during the General/Bye elections held in the Assembly prior to 31st May, 2017.”

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