ECI restores DEC-level oversight of IT wing after 2 ECs raise concerns

New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued a fresh work allocation order, restoring Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC)-level oversight of the IT division, headed by its Director General. The issue had prompted the two ECs to write to the cabinet secretary on July 29.

Under the November 4 work distribution order, senior DEC Pawan Kumar Sharma has been entrusted with charge of IT/ICT, with DG IT Seema Khanna required to route files through him. "The work allocation orders are as per unanimous decisions of the commission. There is no change in the reporting structure of DG IT. She has always been reporting to a DEC-level officer," ECI sources maintained.

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At the centre of the issue is a July 28 order issued by senior DEC Maneesh Garg, which effectively removed the then DEC Sanjay Kumar's oversight of Khanna and instead allowed her to report directly to the commission. The move was objected to by both ECs, Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi. Both ECs wrote to cabinet secretary TV Somanathan on July 29, stating that Garg had issued the order without the ECI's due approval, despite repeated oral and written instructions to all concerned officers not to take such decisions without prior discussion with or approval from the ECI.

This is according to RTI records obtained by activist Commodore Lokesh Batra (Retd). The ECI, however, told the Supreme Court in a recent affidavit that the July 28 work order issued by Garg "was never implemented" in view of the "joint direction" by the two ECs.

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