Kolkata, March 27: The Calcutta High Court’s division bench has reserved its judgment on a public interest petition concerning the large-scale transfers of bureaucrats and police officials in election-bound West Bengal. This petition challenges the decision made by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The hearing took place before Chief Justice Sujoy Paul and Justice Partha Sarathi Sen. At the conclusion of the proceedings, the bench directed the Election Commission to submit all documents related to the transfers, postings, and deputations of bureaucrats and police officials to the court by March 30. A verdict will be announced thereafter.
During the hearing, the Election Commission’s lawyer argued that such transfers and postings are not limited to West Bengal but have also been implemented in other election-bound states.
The lawyer refuted claims made by the petitioner and the West Bengal government, stating that the scale of transfers in the state is not significantly higher than in other election states.
He cited examples, noting that 48 officials were transferred in Bihar before the last assembly elections, yet the Supreme Court did not intervene in that case. In Maharashtra, 61 officials were transferred, while Uttar Pradesh saw 83 and Madhya Pradesh had 49 transfers prior to their assembly elections. In contrast, only 23 bureaucrats and police officials were transferred in West Bengal.
After hearing both sides, the bench decided to reserve its judgment until the Election Commission presents all relevant documents regarding the transfers, postings, and deputations.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee criticized the Commission for the mass transfers of bureaucrats and police officials, stating that such extensive reshuffling disrupts smooth administrative functioning.
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Arpit Soni has had a passion for journalism since the beginning. Now he has turned this hobby into his profession. Arpit, who is a resident of Udaipur, enjoys editing and writing news related to journalism. He has worked as a Senior Content Producer in several important roles at Bhaskar, Patrika, Pratahkal, Punjab Kesari, and Times. Arpit completed his schooling in Udaipur and Jaipur. He has been working in the media industry for more than 10 years, and his journey is still continuing. ✍️📚
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