Bhopal, Feb 28 (IANS) The Madhya Pradesh government Saturday issued instructions that no officer connected with the forthcoming general elections would be allowed to continue in his home district, following directives from the Election Commission.
Besides, if an officer who has completed or would be completing three years of tenure on or before May 31, 2009, also would be transferred.

The general administration department, in its order, clarified that these instructions will not only cover officers appointed for specific election duties like district election officers, returning officers and assistant returning officers but also other district level officers proposed to be used for election work.

As for police department officers, these instructions shall be applicable to Inspector Generals of Police to sub-inspectors and sergeant majors of armed police or equivalent who are responsible for deployment of force in the district at election time. However, the instructions do not apply to officers posted in the state headquarters of the department concerned.

Besides, the police officers of the level of sub-inspectors should not be posted in their home assembly constituencies, and should be transferred out of their police sub-division if they have completed tenure of three years there, the orders said.

The Election Commission, said the order, has sought a detailed review before the general elections and postings according to the above instructions.

The commission has also issued instructions to the officers against whom it has recommended disciplinary action or who are charged with any lapse in any election work, or who have been transferred under its orders previously. Such officers should not be given any election duty, it said.

The commission said the directives be implemented even without waiting for the formal announcement of the elections to ensure that no large-scale dislocation of officers is necessitated after the announcement.