The Calcutta High Court has reserved its verdict after completing hearing a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed against large-scale transfers, replacements, and deputations of key bureaucrats in West Bengal by the Election Commission of India (ECI) after announcing elections.
A division bench comprising Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen concluded the hearing on Friday by directing the Election Commission to submit all documents related to the transfers, replacements, and deputations of bureaucrats and police officers to the court on March 30.
The verdict will be pronounced after EC submits documents.
The ECI argued that such transfers, replacements, and deputations of bureaucrats were regular features and that similar measures had been undertaken in other poll-bound states as well.
The Commission also countered the allegations of the state govt that the scale of transfers in Bengal was disproportionately higher compared to other poll-bound states by saying that 48 officials were transferred in Bihar before the last Assembly elections there. Besides, a total of 61 officials were transferred in Maharashtra, 83 in Uttar Pradesh, and 49 in Madhya Pradesh before Assembly elections in those states.
The Commission added that only 23 IAS and police officers were transferred in West Bengal.
After hearing both sides, the bench decided to reserve its verdict.
But it did not stop Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee from lashing out at the commission on Friday again over these transfers, saying such large-scale reshuffles were creating hurdles in the smooth administrative functioning of the state.
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