In a significant development, the West Bengal government sent a list of 12 IPS officers to the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday, seeking its permission for their deployment to key posts in the state. These posts were left vacant after a series of transfers done by the EC after announcing elections for the state.
The proposal was sent to the EC, as it controls all such decisions during elections.
The EC has so far removed 31 IPS officers and 184 inspectors from their posts and barred them from any election-related duties.
The proposal sent on Wednesday is meant to fill posts in the city police and at
the commissionerates of Bidhannagar, Barrackpore, Siliguri, Chandannagar, and the Sundarban police directorate.
According to an official of the state Home Department, some key posts of deputy commissioners of Kolkata Police, deputy commissioners for two battalions of the Kolkata Police armed force, and Bidhannagar, Chandannagar, Barrackpore, and Siliguri police are lying vacant after the recent transfers.
He added, “We are struggling to find officers who have not been removed from election-related posts, so we sent this proposal.”
Police sources said that it was difficult to fill all vacancies with officers with the experience of handling elections due to the removal of so many officers from key posts with less than a month left for the conclusion of elections. department.
One of the officers whose name has reportedly been mentioned in the proposal had earlier been removed by the EC, but as an official pointed out, his name has been proposed for a non-poll duty.
The Bengal govt is awaiting approval from the Election Commission to deploy these officers.
Join Us on WhatsApp