Kolkata The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the West Bengal government to create a separate department with a dedicated budget to make the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) functional and ensure institutional independence.
The letter from the ECI secretariat to Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant, dated July 17, came less than a year before assembly polls are due in the state.
“Create a separate election department, completely delinked from any other department of the state government. The election department should have a dedicated budget head. This will facilitate full financial and administrative autonomy to the CEO, as required for the effective and impartial conduct of elections,” said the letter.
At present, the CEO’s office functions as a subordinate branch of the state home and hill affairs department which is led by a principal secretary level officer. The CEO himself holds the rank of additional chief secretary.
Also, the CEO’s office has to function with limited financial powers relying on a minor permanent advance from the finance department. In the letter, ECI noted that the CEO’s office lacked financial and administrative autonomy.
Neither CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal nor Pant could not be reached out for a comment despite several attempts.
{{/usCountry}}Neither CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal nor Pant could not be reached out for a comment despite several attempts.
{{/usCountry}}The State Election Commission (SEC) is a separate body headed by the state election commissioner and conducts panchayat and civic polls.
The poll panel directed the Trinamool Congress government to delegate suitable financial powers, at par with additional chief secretary and principal secretary of other departments, to the CEO.
“A separate financial advisor needs to be posted in the election department to assist the CEO in effective discharge of his official duties. Further, in view of the upcoming general election to the legislative assembly of West Bengal, to ensure institutional preparedness and seamless coordination, you are also requested to fill up the four vacant posts of additional CEO, joint CEO and deputy CEOs in the office of the CEO in consultation with the commission,” the letter stated.
As Representation of the People Act 1950 the CEO of a state is authorised to supervise the election work in the state subject to the overall superintendence, direction and control of the ECI. The CEO is appointed by the ECI.
Over the past few weeks, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has repeatedly attacked ECI over its decision to conduct a door-to-door special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, beginning with Bihar. She has alleged that the move was more dangerous than the National Register of Citizens (NRC).
The ECI letter sparked off a political row.
“ECI is doing whatever it feels like to give advantage to the BJP in the election by manipulating the voters’ list. They are totally biased,” said Jay Prakash Majumdar, TMC state vice-president and spokesperson.
“It is very obvious that names of Bangladeshi and illegal voters will be deleted from the voters’ list. ECI’s office in the state should be allowed to work independently. The ECI has made a very important move to allow the CEO’s office to function without having to depend on the state,” said Rahul Sinha, senior BJP leader.