By IANS,
Panaji : The Election Commission of India (ECI) Tuesday shunted out a district returning officer (DRO) in South Goa district which has Chief Minister Digambar Kamat’s constituency of Margao.
Joint chief electoral officer N.S. Navti said that DRO Sandeep Jacques was transferred because it surfaced that he was formerly attached to the Chief Minister’s Office as an officer on special duty (OSD).
“He has been transferred and replaced by newly appointed IAS (Indian Administrative Service) officer D.A. Havaldar,” Navti said.
During Chief Election commissioner (CEC) S.Y. Quraishi’s last visit to Goa, he had taken cognizance of a complaint filed by Friends of Good Governance (FOGG), an NGO pursuing poll reforms, about Jacques’ appointment as the DRO, especially because of his proximity to Kamat.
FOGG had also pointed out that Kamat had also initiated a finance ministry enquiry into a multi-crore excise evasion scam in which Jacques – who was then state excise commissioner — was also being probed.
The complainant had also said that according to poll rules, the DRO’s post had to be held by an IAS officer and not a state civil service official.