Calcutta HC raps EC: Judge slams order on assistant professors as presiding officers

Kolkata: Calcutta HC judge, Justice Krishna Rao, connected Thursday slammed the Election Commission for not producing notifications indicating if adjunct professors could beryllium appointed arsenic presiding polling officers successful assembly elections.

"You (EC) tin name judges besides nether Section 26 (of the Representation of People Act) arsenic polling officers... I americium acceptable to go," helium said, giving the canvass sheet different accidental to get the facts supporting its action.A radical of adjunct professors challenged EC's bid directing them to articulation arsenic presiding officers for the Bengal elections. They argued EC, successful a erstwhile order, had said, "Group A-equivalent elder officers, including teaching unit of universities and colleges, should not beryllium drafted for polling duties connected polling presumption premises without circumstantial reasons to beryllium recorded successful penning by the DEO..."Section 26 states a DEO tin name a presiding serviceman for each polling presumption arsenic indispensable but volition not name anyone employed by oregon is moving for a candidate. Justice Rao, aft proceeding EC counsel's arguments, said, "We tin besides spell to the polling office... It is not a joke, each clip you are changing your notification."Bikash Ranjan Bhattacharya, representing the adjunct professors, said their main request was not to beryllium assigned the work of a presiding officer.

"There is simply a excavation of officers; fto them beryllium assigned. Let teachers not beryllium humiliated similar this."Highlighting the requisition was for March 19 and that the professors had travel to tribunal excessively late, EC counsel said, "At this stage, interfering with the full process volition halt the election." To this, Justice Rao said adjacent if it was the time before, the petition had to beryllium decided by law. "Show maine the notification by which they person been requisitioned."When EC's counsel pointed to an SC bid appointing judicial officers for SIR, Justice Rao said, "Okay, truthful I americium referring the substance to the SC. The bid of SC is being utilized by EC similar this."The lawsuit volition beryllium heard again connected Friday.