Bureau Prayagraj. The first phase of voting is on April 23 in West Bengal. Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court has canceled a decision of the Election Commission. Actually, the Election Commission had decided to appoint some assistant professors as presiding officers for the elections.
The petitioners, belonging to the West Bengal Government College Teachers Association, filed the application challenging their appointment as Presiding Officers at polling stations for the Assembly elections. The petitioners claimed that they are working on the posts of Assistant Professors but have been given the charge of Chairman without considering their pay level.
Justice Krishna Rao canceled the appointments of the petitioner professors as presiding officers for the state assembly elections. He held that the authorities failed to produce any document showing the extenuating circumstances on the basis of which these appointments were made.
The court on Friday said the assistant professors have been appointed as presiding officers in violation of the Election Commission circular dated February 16, 2010. His lawyer Shamim Ahmed said the organization that filed the petition in the court has more than 300 members and said the order applies only to the petitioners.
In their petition, the petitioners claimed that the circular regarding requisition of staff for election purposes mentions that Group A equivalent senior officers, including teaching staff of universities, colleges, etc., should not be appointed for duties in the polling station premises unless ‘specific reasons are recorded in writing by the District Election Officer, where such appointments become unavoidable.’
The Election Commission’s counsel submitted before the court that there are approximately 90,000 booths to conduct elections on April 23 and April 29, and in such a situation, it is not possible for the officials to prepare the seniority list. There may be some overlapping.
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