Revenue officials, who had been staging a State-wide agitation against inter-district transfer of Assistant Electoral Registration Officers for election duty, called off their protest on Thursday.
The revenue officials had submitted a petition to the Election Commission of India to this effect. M. P. Murugaian, State secretary, Tamil Nadu Revenue Officials Association (TNROA), and R. Mangalapandian, State vice-president, who visited the ECI, said that though in previous elections the officials had been transferred out of their Assembly constituencies and taluks, they were not shifted to nearby districts.
“The transfer will affect salary, seniority, promotion and other service rights of employees,” said Mr. Murugaian. It would also interrupt the smooth conduct of electoral process, he said.
He said Tahsildars were district-level officials and their promotion was effected only within the district. “Service rules governing Tahsildar-level officials do not permit their transfer, except on disciplinary proceedings,” he added.
In an official letter, Malay Malik, secretary, ECI, said the officers could be allowed to remain in the district, but they should be shifted from the Assembly constituency where their native place is located or where they have completed their tenure of three to four years.
Tahsildars of 270 of 296 taluks in the State were transferred in view of the coming parliamentary election after Commissioner of Revenue Administration K. Satyagopal had a video conference with all Collectors, Mr. Malik said in the letter.
Ten of the 11 Tahsildars had been transferred from Madurai district.
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