Mamata assures no job loss for 7 suspended officers, questions ECI move

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday assured that the seven state government officers suspended by the Election Commission of India will not lose their jobs, a day after the poll panel took direct action against them over alleged irregularities in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Speaking at a press conference at Nabanna, the chief minister said the suspended officers would continue to work in their respective districts but would be kept away from election-related duties.

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“They will work. They will work outside election duties and do good work in the districts. They are not being dismissed,” Banerjee said on Tuesday.

Her assurance came within 24 hours of the Election Commission of India directly suspending the seven officers, after earlier directing the state government to take immediate action.

The chief minister, however, accused the ECI of acting without giving the officers an opportunity to present their defence. She also launched a sharp attack on the poll panel, terming it a “Tughlaqi commission (whimsical commission).”

Questioning the commission’s decision, Banerjee asked why the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) concerned were suspended without being asked about the charges against them.

“Did you ask them what their crime was, what their fault was?” she asked, adding that the state had acted only because the commission had instructed it to do so.

The Election Commission had written to the state government on Sunday, asking it to suspend seven officers with immediate effect and to report back on the action taken.

Interestingly, even before the state could formally implement the directive, the commission itself issued orders suspending the officers and removing them from their duties as Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs).

The seven officers were engaged in the SIR of voter lists and were accused by the commission of misconduct, dereliction of duty and abuse of power.

Those suspended include two AEROs from Canning East in South 24-Parganas, one from Maynaguri in Jalpaiguri, three from Murshidabad district ~ Samserganj, Farakka and Suti ~ and one from Debra in West Midnapore.

The commission had also indicated disciplinary action against them making the conflict between the Election Commission of India and the state government even more critical.

The commission had earlier asked the state government to suspend four other officers even before the SIR process began, over allegations of illegally including “fake” or “ghost” voters in electoral rolls.

The state had failed to act on repeated instructions, prompting the commission to summon the current chief secretary to Delhi last week.

The commission has since given the state time till Tuesday to file FIRs against those four officers, even as it proceeded with action against the seven others.