In a primary, EC appoints officers of SDM degree & above as returning officers for Bengal polls | India Information

ECI

NEW DELHI: The Election Commissionin a primary for West Bengal, upgraded the returning officers (ROs) throughout its 152 meeting constituencies to the extent of sub divisional Justice of the Peace (SDM) or sub divisional officer (SDO) and above, according to norms adopted in the remainder of the nation.That is seen as a lift to free and honest meeting elections within the state because the senior officers are seen as much less vulnerable to bias and partisan conduct, significantly in the direction of the ruling aspect.

Sources termed the transfer as historic as West Bengal was the one state the place the ROs had been of the extent decrease than or equal to the SDM since Independence, when each different state/UT was offering officers of SDM/sub-divisional officer (SDO) degree and above. “West Bengal is the one state that didn’t honour the EC directions dated 26.06.2023 on this regard and had been offering junior officers on the degree of block growth officer (BDO) and so forth for appointment as RO. EC had despatched reminders to West Bengal govt on January 20 and February 2, 2026, to right this,” stated an EC official.Lastly, on EC’s insistence, the state govt consented to spare officers of the requisite seniority as returning officers. Primarily based on this, the EC on Thursday issued the notification appointing ROs for all 294 meeting constituencies for the forthcoming meeting polls, together with for the 152 constituencies the place the state had earlier supplied junior officers.