New Delhi: In a move to ensure fairness in the ongoing Lok Sabha Elections of 2024, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued transfer orders for non-cadre officers holding key positions as District Magistrates (DM) and Superintendents of Police (SP) in four states: Gujarat, Punjab, Odisha, and West Bengal. The positions of DM and SP in the districts are typically held by officers from the Indian Administrative and Indian Police Service, respectively.

The decision, aimed at maintaining impartiality, came following a meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Shri Rajiv Kumar, alongside Election Commissioners Shri Gyanesh Kumar and Shri Sukhbir Singh Sandhu.

The officers affected by the transfers are as follows:

1. Gujarat – SPs of Chhota Udaipur and Ahmedabad Rural districts

2. Punjab – SSPs of Pathankot, Fazilka, Jalandhar Rural, and Malerkotla districts

3. Odisha – DM of Dhenkanal and SPs of Deogarh and Cuttack Rural districts

4. West Bengal – DMs of Purba Medinipur, Jhargram, Purba Bardhaman, and Birbhum districts

Furthermore, the Commission has directed the transfer of SSP Bathinda in Punjab and SP Sonitpur in Assam due to their familial ties with elected political representatives. This proactive step aims to dispel any concerns about potential bias or compromised administration.

Under the directive, all respective state governments have been instructed to swiftly transfer non-encadred officers from their current DM and SP/SSP roles and submit a compliance report to the Commission.