AP state poll body cracks down on two IAS officers

The Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has taken disciplinary action against two senior IAS officers for deliberate negligence in the conduct of panchayat elections. Censure proceedings were issued against the Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Gopala Krishna Dwivedi and Panchayat Raj commissioner Girija Shankar by the State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar.

Amaravati: Andhra Pradesh State Election Commission has taken disciplinary action against two senior IAS officers for deliberate negligence in the conduct of panchayat elections. The State Election Commissioner Nimmagadda Ramesh Kumar has issued censure proceedings against the Panchayat Raj Principal Secretary Gopala Krishna Dwivedi and Panchayat Raj Commissioner Girija Shankar. The SEC issued orders accusing them of committing willful violations of duty. SEC Ramesh Kumar directed that the charges be registered in their service records.

"Although the list of 2021 voters is to be taken into account in the panchayat elections.. these two officials were responsible for considering the 2019 list," the SEC mentioned in the proceedings. The SEC said that the commission repeatedly sent official information to the officials.

"2021 voter list can not be considered because of the officials' misconduct," the SEC said. He further mentioned that the Panchayati Raj department officials have failed miserably in preparing the latest voters' list. SEC Ramesh Kumar issued an 8-page-proceedings detailing the mistakes made by the two superiors and all the consequences.

Kumar said that Gopala Krishna Dwivedi had previously served as the Chief Electoral Officer in Andhra Pradesh and was well aware of the election rules but acted irresponsibly. As the head of the Panchayati Raj department, he has to coordinate the field level officials for the elections.

Kumar also alleged that Girija Shankar, who is also the Panchayati Raj Commissioner, had tried to undermine the independence of the Commission through his actions. The Commission has made it clear that it considers this as a fatal failure on behalf of both officers. The Commission, in its proceedings, said that Girija Shankar was disqualified as an officer who should play a key role in discharging those responsibilities as rural governance systems are likely to reach a higher level through the conduct of elections. The SEC ordered that all errors made be recorded in the service records of the two officers. The proceedings were forwarded by the SEC to the Chief Secretary to Government, Adityanath Das, and to the central department of personnel and training.