VIJAYAWADA: A day after State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar censured two IAS officers holding them responsible for the panchayat elections being held based on 2019 electoral rolls instead of 2021, the State government sent back the orders to the SEC. The government is of the view that the SEC does not have powers to censure the IAS officers and can only recommend for their transfer or removal from election duties. The government is also communicating the same to the Department of Personnel and Training (DoPT) about its stand on the censure of the two officials by the SEC, said Advisor to Government (Public Affairs) Sajjala Ramakrishna Reddy.
While returning the orders, the government made it clear that the SEC cannot censure the officials without seeking their clarification and such a move is against the service rules. The SEC on Tuesday censured Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Gopal Krishna Dwivedi and PR Commissioner M Girija Shankar for their failure to publish the final 2021 electoral rolls.
Responding to the issue, Ramesh Kumar on Wednesday said that he did not seek transfer or punishment of the two officials, but only censured them. He maintained that he is not going in a vindictive manner against any official and added that it was Girija Shankar himself who conducted the video conference with District Collectors and SPs on panchayat election arrangements.
Lashing out at Ramesh Kumar at a press conference later in the day, Sajjala took exception to the language used by the SEC in the censure orders. He alleged that the SEC was trying to terrorise and demoralise the officials, but the State shall protect them in case of any unwarranted censure. “The proceedings issued by Ramesh Kumar against Dwivedi and Girija Shankar were not in good taste and he was only trying to blame others for his acts,’’ he said and added that the SEC has no powers to issue proceedings against the IAS officials using objectionable language. He can at the most keep them away from election duties, but using remarks that may affect their career is not in good taste, Sajjala said.
“The powers vested in him are limited to the duration of polls and such remarks seem to be intended to terrorise the staff,’’ he said. Sajjala further said the SEC was trying to threaten the officials in such a way that affects their duties and it was inappropriate for a retired bureaucrat to treat other officers in such a manner.
“The SEC has been misusing his powers by trying to benefit Opposition Leader N Chandrababu Naidu,’’ he alleged and said Ramesh Kumar seems to be working in tandem with or to benefit Naidu, who is conspiring to create a chaotic atmosphere instead of encouraging unanimous polls.
With regard to electoral rolls, he said that the Election Commission of India had released a consolidated electoral list on January 16 and it takes at least two months to process it at the village level. As the tenure of Ramesh Kumar will come to an end by that time, firm on conducting the elections before that, he laid the blame on the State government officials for not publishing the electoral rolls. Recalling the 2019 election scenario, he said that Naidu, who was then CM, also intimidated the then Chief Electoral Officer Gopal Krishna Dwivedi right in his chamber for being impartial in conducting State elections.”
The same Naidu, however, is now backing Ramesh Kumar and using him in his political conspiracy,’’ he said and added that the SEC is vindictive against the State government. He appealed to all stakeholders to strive for unanimous polls to avoid any untoward incident and make use of the cash incentives for village development.
Show restraint as MCC is in force, says SEC
Expressing satisfaction over the arrangements for the conduct of polls, SEC N Ramesh Kumar said that all he made a point was that at least from today, all should consider that the MCC is in force and restrain from attacking the SEC individually