Election duty
Naresh Mohan Gupta
(Querist) 02 June 2014
This query is : Resolved
I am a senior PSU officer. (Manager in a mini ratna central Govt PSU). My grade is E-5 whereas highest grade is E-8. My pay scale is Rs. 36600-3%-62000 (IDA).I have several times been called for election duty of both Assembly elections & Parliamentary elections. At each occasion, I have been deputed as Micro Observar so far. I have seen that some of my colleagues who are senior PSU officers have been assigned the duty of Presiding Officer whereas their Sector Magistrate from State/Central Govt were of lower pay scale/rank. So far I have not seen that any PSU officer has ever been deputed as Sector Magistrate.[what's election commission 's guidelines] Now I have been again called for duty of Panchayat Election duty and this time I have been deputed as Presiding Officer. I want to know:
1) Can a PSU officer be deputed for State Panchayat Election duty?
2) Can a PSU officer of higher scale than the scale of State Govt./Central Govt. Officer, who has been deputed as Sector Magistrate, be deputed as Presiding Officer? OR can a PSU officer of my rank/grade be deputed as Presiding Officer?
3) How will we compare the pay-scale of a PSU officer (IDA scale) with a State/Central Govt. scale?
4) How to determine whether the pay scale of a PSU employee is higher/lower than a State/Central Govt Employee?
Matter is urgent. legal advice from experts is genuinely requested.
Regards to all.
N.K.Assumi
(Expert) 02 June 2014
It is not the parity of pay scale at par with the Government servants be it central or state. But the nature of your PSU, whether PSU is under the control of the President or the Governor etc. For your information staff of State Bank of India or the LIC can not be be requisitioned by Election Commission for Election duty.It is the question of power and not the discretion of Election Commission.
Naresh Mohan Gupta
(Querist) 04 June 2014
Sorry to say, Mr. N.K.Assumi does not have updated knowledge. Supreme Court, few years ago has issued directions that PSU employees can also be requisitioned for election duty. Recently in General Election 2014 too, there were SBI and LIC officers with me in the election duty. If anybody else has update knowledge in this regard kindly advice. me.
