Election Duty
Pankaj
(Querist) 29 April 2018
This query is : Resolved
Respected experts
I am working as a Junior Hindi Translator in postal dept in Bengaluru. My work profile includes translation from Hindi and vice versa, I have zero knowledge of Kannada and knowledge of Kannada is also not compulsory for this post. I got this job in December 2017. Now my problem is that I am nominated as Presiding Officer for Karnataka state elections. I know that it is a post with great responsibility. A Presiding officer is responsible for managing a polling booth and to ensure that everything goes smoothly. Due to communication problems I cannot perform this duty as majority of voters know only Kannada. If any problem arises at my polling booth I cannot solve it due to language barrier. I have also heard that you can be suspended for not discharging your duty properly. I requested my office head for either changing my duty or not giving me election duty at all, but nothing was done by my office. So please help me and tell me what can I do in this matter. Is there any law or judgement which can help me. It is very urgent.
Thanks
KISHAN DUTT KALASKAR
(Expert) 29 April 2018
Dear Sir,
Yours is real practical problem. You have to immediately approach the Ho,ble Central Administrative Tribunal or High Court of Karnataka for necessary relief.
Kumar Doab
(Expert) 29 April 2018
Express your issues in writing narrating previous representations to your HoD and request to forward to the concerned authority for elections e.g; DC..
Remain gentle and amiable..
Check if some committee is formed to address issues..!
Sudhir Kumar, Advocate
(Expert) 30 April 2018
There is just no use going to CAT on this issue. DO not waste time and energy and money also.
CAT issues minimum 6 weeks notice to govt. by that time you may have completed election duty or suspended/jailed for refusal.
Sudhir Kumar, Advocate
(Expert) 30 April 2018
You have no time to get represented forwarded to the DC and then DC acting on the same. You can personally meet DC/ADM/SDM/Tehsildar. They have many other jobs during election.
You are Presiding officer not knowing Kannada. Your team mates and attached police persons may be knowing. my be knowing. So this is no convincing hurdle.
J&K is a state where elector rolls are just in urdu and many officials from Delhi in 1996 performed election duty there not even a single of them knowing urdu with the help of local official/urdu teachers attached to each polling station.
So you have no convincing argument.
Sudhir Kumar, Advocate
(Expert) 30 April 2018
you said
"I have also heard that you can be suspended for not discharging your duty properly."
you did not hear probably that refusing election duty is criminal offcnce punishable upto 24 months jail.
Sudhir Kumar, Advocate
(Expert) 30 April 2018
"My work profile includes translation from Hindi and vice versa"
Absolutely irrelevant. Every govt official has got some work profile as per job requirement. He may be clerk / steno/ D'man/ JE/ pharmacist/ teacher/ postman / accountant / auditor / peon /doctor. Each of them has a job profile as per his qualification. None is having a job profile of handling EVM etc.
Yet each type of govt servant has been performing election duty since 1937. Translators are no exception.
