Citing a “Lack of Administrative and Financial Autonomy” Available to the State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), The election Commission has been asked the West Bengal Government to Create Epetarate Election Department, compartment. Delinked from any other state department.

In a letter dated July 17 and addressed to the west Bengal Chief Secretary, The Electration Commission wrote: “The Commission has not lack of financial and administrate Autonomy Available to Seeo, West Bongle, in the existing Arrist. Wherein Ceo’s Office Financial Powers on a minor permanent from the finance department, the ceo’s office has been categorized as a subordinate. Department, which is LED by a principal secretary-level officer, whereas the CEO HIMSELF is of ACS rank. “

The Ec was referring to the west Bengal Government’s April 3 Notification, Appointing Ias Office Manoj Kumar Agarwal as the state ceo. He was also made ex-officio additional choice secretary of the home and hill affairs department.

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Directing the State Government to Create A Separate Election Department, The EC Said: “The Elect Department should have a dedicated budget head. Required for the Effective and Impartial Conduct of Elections. “

The letter also stated that “Suitable Financial Powers at Par with AcS/ Pr Sectary of Other Departments” Be Given to The State Ceo. “A Separate Financial Advisor Needs to be posted in the elections to Assist the CEO in Effective Discharge of his official duties,” It added.

While the state government has so far not commented on the EC’s letter, TMC and left leders condemned it, calling it an RSS conspiracy.

“The state will give funds, but can control, can be an opinion, it can be,” Said TMC MLA and Speaker of the Assembly, Biman Banerjee.

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Formr Rajya Sabha Mp Jawhar Sircar, Who Also the Ceo of Bengal During left left Rule, Said, “It is basically a power-grabbing tool. Problem. “

Veteran CPI (M) Leader Rabin Dev Said, “This is nothing but a part of RSS ‘conspiracy to grab power. Away. “

BJP State Unit President Samik Bhattacharya, However, Said the Eci Wants To Make The Structure of the Ceo more Independent. But our state Government doesn’t want it. One can easy conclude who is trying to grab power. “

In most of the states, the ceo works in the state government. In bihar, the elections department is a separate department under the chief minister’s office. Gujrat has a Separate Election Department, not under any department of the state government, but the ceo is drawn from gujrat IPS cadre.

Atri Mitra is a special correspondent of the Indian express with more than 20 years of experience in reporting from west Bengal, bihar and the north-east. He has been covering administration and political news for more than ten years and has a keen invest in political development in west Bengal. Atri holds a master degree in economics from rabindrabharati university and bachelor’s degree from Calcutta University. He is also an alumnus of st. Xavier’s, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur. He started his care with leading vernacular daily the anandabazar patrika, and worked there for more than fifteen years. He worked as bihar correspondent for more than three years for anandabazar patrika. He has coovered the 2009 Lok Sabha Election and 2010 Assembly Elections. He also worked with News18-Bangla and Covered the Bihar Lok Sabha Election in 2019 … Read more