Nasir Azam
Srinagar, Oct 7: Amid the ongoing special summary of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir, the post of Union Territory’s chief electoral officer is lying vacant for the past two weeks.
The post of J&K’s CEO has been vacant since September 22 after Hirdesh Kumar was relieved of the charge.
Official sources disclosed that the J&K Government has submitted a panel of three IAS officers to the Election Commission of India for finalizing the appointment of CEO in place of Hirdesh Kumar.
“The Commission is yet to finalize the appointment of CEO as it is presently engaged with the preparations for Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat polls which are likely to be held in November- December,” they said.
The panel of officers was submitted to the ECI on September 20 after Hirdesh Kumar was posted as deputy election commissioner by the Government of India for a period of five years.
The key post is lying vacant at a time when the special summary revision of electoral rolls in Jammu & Kashmir. The exercise of special summary revision began on September 15 with the publication of integrated draft electoral rolls. The process would be completed on November 25 with publication of final electoral rolls.
Earlier this week, Union Home Minister Amit Shah said that the assembly election in Jammu and Kashmir will be conducted once the Election Commission completes the exercise of publishing the revised electoral rolls.
