Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI), on Sunday, announced the transfer of as many as 83 block development officers (BDOs) and assistant returning officers (AROs) in West Bengal, amid the crucial Assembly elections scheduled next month.
In a statement sent to the West Bengal Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala by the ECI through the office of the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the poll panel had provided the list of 83 BDOs/AROs, who have been transferred.
The most significant of the transfers were the BDOs/AROs of the two blocks under the Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district, where the sitting Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) legislator, Suvendu Adhikari, is the Leader of the Opposition in the West Bengal Assembly.
This time, Suvendu Adhikari is contesting from Nandigram and also from Bhabanipur Assembly constituency in Kolkata against the Trinamool Congress candidate and the West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.
As per the list provided by the Commission, the maximum number of BDOs/AROs has been transferred from East Midnapore district, which is also the native district of the Leader of the Opposition Adhikari.
A total of 14 BDOs/AROs have been removed from East Midnapore, followed by 11 at South 24 Parganas district, seven each in North 24 Parganas and East Burdwan districts, and six each in Malda and Birbhum districts.
Apart from that, four BDOs/AROs have been transferred in Jalpaiguri district, three in Cooch Behar district, five in Nadia district, four each in Murshidabad and Hooghly, two in West Midnapore, six in Birbhum, four in Bankura, three in Purulia, and one each in North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Howrah, and West Burdwan districts.
Since the announcement of the two-phase polling for West Bengal next month on March 15, the Commission has periodically issued transfer orders of bureaucrats and police officers at different levels.
The transfer process started with the top-ranking bureaucrats, like the Chief Secretary and Home Secretary, and Director Generals and Additional Director Generals in the case of police.
In the second phase, there were transfers for mid-level officers like District Magistrates in case of bureaucrats and Deputy Inspector Generals, Superintendents, and Deputy Commissioners in police administration.
Now has started the third and final phase of transfers for the lowest levels in the administrative pyramid, like additional district magistrates, sub-divisional officers, and block development officers in case of general administration, and additional superintendents, deputy superintendents, assistant superintendents, assistant commissioner, and inspectors in case of police administration.
The two-phase Assembly polls in West Bengal are scheduled on April 23 and April 29.
In the first phase, there will be polling for 152 Assembly constituencies, and in the second phase, there will be polling for the remaining 142 Assembly constituencies. The results will be declared on May 4.
(IANS)
