Tahsildar row: Election official holds inquiry
Madurai:23.04.2019
Additional chief electoral officer M Balaji on Monday conducted a detailed inquiry into the entry of a woman tahsildar into a room adjoining the strong room at the Madurai Medical College where electronic voting machines are kept after the April 18 Lok Sabha elections.
Balaji, who arrived here in the morning, held inquiries with election officer and district collector S Natarajan, tahsildar Sampooranam, top police officials and all those had been on poll duty.
Balaji told reporters that he had inspected the strong room and found security to be satisfactory. The three-tier security was adequate and it had been tightened, he said. Balaji said he would send an inquiry report to the state chief electoral officer and the Election Commission of India. Sampoornam, personal assistant to the assistant returning officer (ARO) in the Madurai West constituency, allegedly entered the room on Saturday. She allegedly took some documents outside the room and photocopied.
The district collector sent a report to the chief electoral officer on Sunday, following which Sampoornam and three others were placed under suspension.
The candidates, who contested the Madurai Lok Sabha election - CPM’s Su Venkatesan, AIADMK’s V V R Raj Satyan, AMMK’s K David Annadurai, NTK’s J Pandiammal and MNM’s M Alagar met the additional chief electoral officer and made their representations.
Su Venkatesan said he had sought the transfer of the collector and returning officer before the counting as he had lost confidence in fair counting if the same officer continued. He said the issue would not have become big if the higher officials including the collector and DRO had responded to their calls and arrived at the counting hall immediately. Satyan said that it should made clear as to why the tahsildar was in the room on Saturday, and that the matter should be dealt with legally.
Meanwhile, representatives of the government employees’ associations from the district collectorate and Madurai Corporation met the officer and sought that the suspension of the tahsildar should be revoked.
Madurai:23.04.2019
Additional chief electoral officer M Balaji on Monday conducted a detailed inquiry into the entry of a woman tahsildar into a room adjoining the strong room at the Madurai Medical College where electronic voting machines are kept after the April 18 Lok Sabha elections.
Balaji, who arrived here in the morning, held inquiries with election officer and district collector S Natarajan, tahsildar Sampooranam, top police officials and all those had been on poll duty.
Balaji told reporters that he had inspected the strong room and found security to be satisfactory. The three-tier security was adequate and it had been tightened, he said. Balaji said he would send an inquiry report to the state chief electoral officer and the Election Commission of India. Sampoornam, personal assistant to the assistant returning officer (ARO) in the Madurai West constituency, allegedly entered the room on Saturday. She allegedly took some documents outside the room and photocopied.
The district collector sent a report to the chief electoral officer on Sunday, following which Sampoornam and three others were placed under suspension.
The candidates, who contested the Madurai Lok Sabha election - CPM’s Su Venkatesan, AIADMK’s V V R Raj Satyan, AMMK’s K David Annadurai, NTK’s J Pandiammal and MNM’s M Alagar met the additional chief electoral officer and made their representations.
Su Venkatesan said he had sought the transfer of the collector and returning officer before the counting as he had lost confidence in fair counting if the same officer continued. He said the issue would not have become big if the higher officials including the collector and DRO had responded to their calls and arrived at the counting hall immediately. Satyan said that it should made clear as to why the tahsildar was in the room on Saturday, and that the matter should be dealt with legally.
Meanwhile, representatives of the government employees’ associations from the district collectorate and Madurai Corporation met the officer and sought that the suspension of the tahsildar should be revoked.
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