SIR dissent row: ECI clarifies context of letter written to Cabinet Secretary

New Delhi, Sep 26 (IANS) Amid the row over alleged differences within the Election Commission, the poll panel on Saturday presented a picture of unity while taking several unanimous decisions about SIR in Delhi and clarified the context under which a letter was written by ECI functionaries to the Cabinet Secretary.

The ECI said, “The letter to the Cabinet Secretary was not related to any policy matter of the Commission or IT division but related to the working of an officer on deputation to ECI.”

“The work redistribution orders issued by the concerned officer were not actually implemented after the orders of the two Commissioners, and the oversight over the IT division by the CEC was never actually withdrawn,” said the Election Commission of India (ECI).

Earlier, there were media reports which said that Election Commissioners S.S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi wrote to the Cabinet Secretary, complaining that they were being kept in the dark over at least 14 decisions taken by the Commission during the past 10 months.

The investigative media reports also claimed that the two had repeatedly questioned Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar over the integrity of the voter database and the security of the electoral rolls, among other issues.

The three-member Election Commission is headed by the Chief Election Commissioner, who is first among equals rather than the senior-most member, with decisions expected to be taken unanimously as far as possible, claimed politicians backing the two ECs.

The ECI, in a statement issued on Saturday, sought to introduce more transparency in its functioning by announcing that “for all Commission’s meetings, agenda will be circulated in advance and minutes will be issued”.

It also said, “Annual Performance Appraisal Reports of all the officers will be completed within the stipulated time frame, that is, 31st December every year and approval of the Commission will be taken for foreign trips of the officers.”

“All directions issued by the Commissioners to the officers of the Commission shall be meticulously complied with,” the poll body added.

The alleged differences within the ECI over its decisions and processes have triggered a political storm, with the Congress and other Opposition parties launching nationwide protests between September 26 and October 2.

–IANS

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