Jaipur: The State Election Commission (SEC) Friday imposed a ban on the transfer of officers involved in the preparation of voter lists for the 2026 general elections to panchayati raj institutions and urban local bodies. The restriction applies to sub-divisional officers (SDOs), tehsildars, naib tehsildars and other officials engaged in electoral work.The Commission said such officers should not be transferred without its prior approval from the beginning of voter list preparation until the final publication of the electoral rolls. It also directed that officers posted in their home districts or areas be removed from their posts by Feb 28.In its order, the SEC further instructed the removal or transfer of officers who have been posted at the same place for three years or more. April 30 has been fixed as the cut-off date for calculating the tenure, which means that if an officer completes three years at one posting by April 30, he or she must be removed from the concerned district, municipality or panchayat samiti area. The Commission said the transfer of such officers must also be completed by Feb 28.The SEC clarified that after the announcement of the election schedule, no employee connected with election duties should be transferred. “If it is necessary to do so under special circumstances, or in any case the state govt wants relaxation in the above criteria, then such cases should be sent to the State Election Commission with complete details,” the order stated. The directions apply to collectors, additional district magistrates (ADMs), SDOs, municipal officials, station house officers and other officers associated with the election process.
