Election Commission transfers district police chiefs in Punjab, Assam

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Thursday transferred district police chiefs in Assam and Punjab, who are kin of prominent politicians, and shunted out "non-cadre" district magistrates and superintendents of police in some states.

The poll body said the non-cadre district magistrates (DMs) and superintendent of police (SPs) have been shunted out as the posts are meant for IAS and IPS officers.

The EC said it has adopted a tough stance against posting of non-cadre officers at leadership positions by transferring eight non-encadred SPs/SSPs and five non-encadred DMs in Punjab, Odisha, Gujarat and West Bengal.

Wherever relatives of prominent politicians were holding charge as DM or SP, have also been transferred, it said, adding SSP Bathinda (Punjab) and SP Sonitpur (Assam) have been transferred.

The EC said the officials in these two districts have been transferred as a "pre-emptive measure" to dispel any apprehensions of administration being biased or perceived to be compromised.

The move comes ahead of the seven-phase Lok Sabha polls starting April 19.