After the Chief Election Commission of India pulled up the state for not removing the officers suspected to have being partial, the Assam government on Wednesday started shifting officials in the civil and police administration.
In what has also given relief to the opposition, within hours of Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Qureshi stating that the EC was concerned over the role of certain officers, the Assam government passed the transfer orders. The CEC identified and submitted a list of 137 officers who are to be shifted from their respective postings.
Official sources said here on Wednesday that while some transfers of deputy commissioners and superintendents of police have already been ordered, more are expected to follow in a day or two.
Among the senior officers, Kamrup (Metro) DC Ashutosh Agnihotri, IAS, was the first victim as the EC sought his removal from election duty. He has moved to finance department as secretary while AIDC managing director Dr J. Balaji takes over in his place.
Joint secretary, finance, Jayant Narlekar has been posted as Karbi Anglong DC and the incumbent Karbi Anglong DC, Sachindra Nath Barman, has been shifted from election duty as the joint secretary of panchayat and rural development.
Kamrup (Rural) SP Partha Sarathi Mahanta has been transferred and Apurba Jibon Baruah has been put in his place. R.A. Laskar has been posted as Golaghat SP.
This has come close on the heels of Mr Qureshi warning of strict action against any official who is found to have been acting in any unbiased manner towards any party or candidate. Official sources said that some more senior police officers of IGP and SP rank are on the radar of the election commission for their alleged inclination towards the ruling party.