Patna, March 12: Perhaps for the first time in the history of the Election Commission of India (ECI), some Bihar cadre IPS officers have been selected as observers in the states going to polls next month.
The state police headquarters has recommended the names of four senior IPS officers — Praveen Vashishtha, Paresh Saxena, S. Ravindran and Amitabh Kumar Das — for nomination as observers in the forthcoming elections in Assam, West Bengal, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry.
“For the first time, the ECI has decided to appoint IPS officers from Bihar in the forthcoming Assembly elections. Earlier, only IAS officers were appointed as observers in elections,” said Bihar director-general of police (DGP) Neel Mani.
The commission had earlier nominated Brigu Srinivasan, IG, Patna zone, A.K. Ambedkar, IG, Bhagalpur zone, J.S. Gangwar, IG (administration), Jitendra Kumar, IG, BMP and A.S. Nilekar, DIG (personnel) as observers and asked the state government to relieve them for the Assembly elections.
“But we have requested to the ECI to change the names of the officers selected as observers in the wake of panchayat polls to be held in Bihar at the same time. The IPS officers, who had earlier been nominated as observers by the election commission, are currently holding the posts which are directly related with the preparations for the ensuing panchayat elections,” Neel Mani told The Telegraph on Saturday.
He said that the final decision has to be taken by the ECI. “After all, we have to execute the directive of the commission,” the DGP added.
While Vashishtha (1991 batch) is at present posted as IG, economic offence wing (EOW) in the criminal investigation department, Paresh Saxena (1994 batch) is posted as DIG-cum-joint director, Bihar Police Academy.
Saxena’s batchmate Amitabh Kumar Das is posted as commandant of the BMP-09 stationed at Jamalpur in Munger while S. Ravindran (1995 batch) is holding the post of DIG, human rights, at the state police headquarters.
Additional director-general (headquarters) Rajvardhan Sharma was earlier nominated special observer in 2005 Bihar Assembly polls and asked to monitor the election in Madhepura.
