KOLKATA: Partially complying with an Election Commission directive, the West Bengal govt suspended on Thursday four state officers within the August 21 deadline set by the poll panel, but did not lodge any FIR against them.
The EC had sought the suspension of the four officers and a data-entry operator, lodging of an FIR against them, and initiation of disciplinary proceedings indicting them for lapses leading to entry of bogus voters in the electoral rolls . The state had asked the EC to rethink its "disproportionately harsh" recommendation but the poll panel had insisted that its orders be complied with.
Two of the four officers indicted by the EC belong to the West Bengal Civil Service executive cadre. State chief secretary Manoj Pant informed the EC on Thursday of the steps taken by Bengal's govt.
The stand-off between the poll panel and Bengal's govt started 16 days ago with EC on Aug 5 seeking action against two EROs ( election returning officers ) and AEROs (assistant EROs) of Moyna in East Midnapore and Baruipur East in South 24 Parganas "for failure in supervising election-related work".
Bengal govt reacted by removing an AERO and the data-entry operator from poll duty and starting a probe against all the officers. Unsatisfied, EC seniors asked Pant to meet them in person.
Pant appeared before the EC officials on Aug 13 to clarify the Bengal govt's stance. He informed the officials that the state had ordered a fresh probe because it felt the EC's directives were harsh.
He was told that the state could probe the matter but he needed to comply with the order by Aug 21 and send a compliance report, and that any further delay would be considered insubordination.
A section of lawyers argued that EC has powers both under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951, and under penal laws to act against officers for omissions in their official duty and to lodge FIRs on its own. In this case, EC had tasked Bengal govt with the job and sought "immediate compliance".
The EC had sought the suspension of the four officers and a data-entry operator, lodging of an FIR against them, and initiation of disciplinary proceedings indicting them for lapses leading to entry of bogus voters in the electoral rolls . The state had asked the EC to rethink its "disproportionately harsh" recommendation but the poll panel had insisted that its orders be complied with.
Two of the four officers indicted by the EC belong to the West Bengal Civil Service executive cadre. State chief secretary Manoj Pant informed the EC on Thursday of the steps taken by Bengal's govt.
The stand-off between the poll panel and Bengal's govt started 16 days ago with EC on Aug 5 seeking action against two EROs ( election returning officers ) and AEROs (assistant EROs) of Moyna in East Midnapore and Baruipur East in South 24 Parganas "for failure in supervising election-related work".
Bengal govt reacted by removing an AERO and the data-entry operator from poll duty and starting a probe against all the officers. Unsatisfied, EC seniors asked Pant to meet them in person.
Pant appeared before the EC officials on Aug 13 to clarify the Bengal govt's stance. He informed the officials that the state had ordered a fresh probe because it felt the EC's directives were harsh.
He was told that the state could probe the matter but he needed to comply with the order by Aug 21 and send a compliance report, and that any further delay would be considered insubordination.
A section of lawyers argued that EC has powers both under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 and 1951, and under penal laws to act against officers for omissions in their official duty and to lodge FIRs on its own. In this case, EC had tasked Bengal govt with the job and sought "immediate compliance".
