ECI deputes two more IAS officers from West Bengal cadre as central observers

Kolkata, March 18 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday decided to depute two Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers of the West Bengal cadre, both holding the rank of departmental secretaries, as central observers to other states.

One of the two officers is Priyanka Singla, a 2012-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, currently posted as Special Secretary in the state Civil Defence and Disaster Management Department.

The other is P. Mohangandhi, a 2004-batch IAS officer of the West Bengal cadre, currently posted as Secretary in the state Commerce and Industries Department.

Earlier in the day, the ECI had also decided to depute Public Works Department (PWD) Secretary Antara Acharya and Food Processing Secretary Parvez Ahmed Siddique as central observers to other poll-bound states.

However, both Siddique and Acharya had requested the ECI to reconsider the decision, citing administrative workload in their respective departments.

Earlier, on March 17, Jagdish Prasad Meena, the then West Bengal Home Secretary, who was removed from the post by the ECI hours after it announced the two-phase polls in the state, was later shifted by the Commission to Tamil Nadu as a central poll observer.

The Commission had also removed the then West Bengal Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakrabarty, from the post on the same night the polling dates were announced, and barred her from involvement in the election process in the state.

While Dushyant Nariala replaced Chakrabarty, Shanghamitra Ghosh replaced Meena. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had strongly criticised the removal of Chakrabarty and Meena and had also written to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, raising objections.

The two-phase polls in West Bengal will be held on April 23 and April 29. The results will be announced on May 4.

--IANS

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