BHUBANESWAR: The BJP on Thursday urged the State Election Commission to ensure that the State government implemented the Commission’s directive for transfer of officials who have completed three years in a particular district before the forthcoming elections to panchayati raj institutions.
A delegation of the BJP comprising Ramaranjan Baliarsingh, Satyabrat Panda, Surath Biswal and Jayant Jena met the State Election Commissioner Aditya Padhi and submitted a memorandum requesting him to direct the State government for transfer of district officials of Transport, Health and Family Welfare, Women and Child Development Mission Shakti departments. The transfer order of the SEC should also be applicable to officials posted in home districts, they said.
Since the chances of using government officials to influence voters - especially women voters - in the coming panchayat polls are more, the BJP sought steps to make the election free and fair.