J&K Govt Gears Up for Civil-Police Reshuffle as Election Commission Orders Transfer of Officers

Jammu: In response to a directive from the Election Commission, the Jammu and Kashmir Government is poised to initiate a substantial reshuffling within both the civil and police administration. The Election Commission has specifically instructed the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police to ensure that officers involved in the electoral process are not stationed in their home districts or areas where they have served for an extended period.

The notification by Election Commission read, "It has come to the Commission's notice that in certain cases officers are being transferred/posted in the adjacent districts within the same Parliamentary Constituency thereby undermining the spirit of transfer policy. All States shall ensure that officers who are transferred out of the district are not posted within the same Parliamentary Constituency. This shall also be applicable to the transfers/postings that have already been given effect in pursuance of the Commission's instruction. It is reiterated that the transfer policy of the commission must be adhered to in both letter and spirit".

A senior official from the Jammu and Kashmir Police has confirmed that the Police headquarters is diligently following all directives from the Election Commission of India, and the instructions will be executed on the ground with utmost sincerity. "The new order from the ECI requires immediate attention, as some transfers have taken place in accordance with the previous order but are not in line with the newly issued one. We will finalise the process promptly to submit the compliance report by Monday afternoon after the orders are issued," stated the official.

Another official, with insights into the Election Commission's proceedings, spoke about the necessity for the J&K Administration to implement this directive within the stipulated timeframe. Failure to comply may lead to the Election Commission of India taking further action. "The recent order by the ECI necessitates a comprehensive exercise, as no officer can now be posted in the parliamentary constituency, a departure from the earlier restriction to their home districts. The order is expected within the next 24-28 hours, as the compliance report must be submitted by 3 PM on Monday," he added.