By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, April 16: The deputation of as many as eight senior IAS and IPS officers from Meghalaya to the election-bound states of West Bengal and Tamil Nadu has severely disrupted administrative work in several key departments.
The IAS officers sent as Election Observers include Swapnil Tembe, Garod L.S.N. Dykes, David D. Sangma, Ramakrishna Chitturi, Ram Kumar S., Joram Beda, and Pravin Bakshi. Additionally, IPS officer Aditya Goenka has been deputed to West Bengal as a Police Observer.
Sources in Shillong revealed that the Election Commission’s decision to pull out such a large number of officers from a small state like Meghalaya is badly affecting day-to-day governance. Many important files are pending approval as departments are already short-staffed and overburdened.
“The Election Commission should have spared a small state like Meghalaya and instead chosen officers from larger states such as Uttar Pradesh or Bihar, where there is no shortage of bureaucrats,” the sources added.
This time, the officers have been sent for an extended period of 35 days, compared to the usual three-week schedule in previous elections.
When contacted, Chief Electoral Officer B.D.R. Tiwari refused to comment on the matter.
