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EC norms force swapping of portfolios

HYDERABAD: In a sudden move, the District Election Officer and GHMC Commissioner C.V.S.K. Sarma has re-designated Additional Commissioner (Works) M. Rajeshwara Rao as the Additional Commissioner (Planning) and posted him as the Returning Officer to the Musheerabad Assembly constituency.

K. Dhananjaya Reddy, the central services officer, officiating as the Additional Commissioner (Planning & Projects) for a little more than three years in the head office, was posted as Additional Commissioner (Works) in place of Mr. Rao on Monday.

Though it sent tongues wagging in the official corridors, sources indicated that the swap in positions was only to fulfil the norms of the Election Commission in appointing Returning Officers to the constituencies.

The EC was said to have stipulated that the Additional Commissioner (Planning) should be the RO to the constituency.

But for some reason, the DEO had announced Mr. Rao’s name as the RO to Musheerabad on Sunday and a press release too was issued stating the same.

During a video-conference on preparations for byelections, officials realised that only the AC (Planning) could officiate as the RO.

In the elections held in 2004 too, the then Additional Commissioner (Planning) officiated as the RO. Hence, Mr. Reddy should have been the obvious candidate.

However, completed three years in the post made him ineligible for RO post, official sources maintained.

It prompted Dr. Sarma to issue departmental orders swapping the portfolios of both the officials.

Official sources were emphatic that the portfolios would be re-swapped after the election process was completed in a month’s time. Election authorities are clear that they do not want to take any chances with the EC, especially after the enforced transfer of Ranga Reddy Collector Praveen Prakash few days ago.

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