Barely 48 hours after Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force in poll-bound Chhattisgarh, the Election Commission of India (ECI) cracking whip on State Administration on Wednesday evening asked for shunting two District Collectors, three Superintendents of Police (SPs), two Additional SPs (SPs), in addition to one Indian Telecom Service (ITS) cadre officer. To this effect, the poll panel has shot a letter to the Chief Secretary of Chhattisgarh and cited laxity of the officials in discharging election duties and henceforth their shunting with immediate effect. It is pertinent here to mention that the MCC came into effect in the entire state after announcement of two-phased polls in Chhattisgarh, on November 7 and 17 respectively. The All India Service (IAS) officials now to be affected by the poll panel whip includes Collector Raigarh Taran Praskash Sinha, 2012-batch IAS officer; Bilaspur Collector Sanjeev Kumar Jha, 2011-batch IAS officer; Rajnandgaon SP Abhishek Meena, 2010-batch IPS officer; Durg SP Shalab Kumar Sinha, 2014-batch IPS officer and Korba SP Uday Kiran, 2015-batch IPS officer.

 

Besides, the panel has also asked to immediately remove two ASPs that include Abhishek Maheshwari from Bilaspur and Sanjay Dhruv from Durg. Both the officers are State Police Service (SPS) cadre. Besides, the Commission has directed that Manoj Soni, a 1995-batch ITS cadre officer, posted as Special Secretary, Food and Civil Supplies and holding additional charge of MD, Markfed and MD, NAN, to immediately be divested with all the charges held by him. The ECI also suggested sending a panel of three suitable officers for this position.

 

In its order, the ECI, in particular, has directed the aforesaid officers to handover the charge to the immediate subordinate officer. It has also asked the state administration that these officers should not be assigned any election related work till the completion of General Election to the Legislative Assembly of Chhattisgarh. Moreover, the ECI has asked for a panel of three names each from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) by October 12, Thursday evening 5 pm based on which it will appoint the next successors to the post of the affected officers. However, for the position held by Manoj Soni, the panel has for furnishing their Annual Performance Assessment Report (APAR) grading for the last five years and Vigilance Clearance to the Commission. The CEO has been directed to ensure the compliance of the poll panel’s order