Govt carjackers make babus cry

Election Commission forced to seize their official cars for upcoming election duty after they refuse to complyIn a unique, but bizarre directive, the two Mumbai collectors (city and suburbs) have told the RTO to stop, seize and deliver all state government vehicles to the returning officers in 10 constituencies in the city and suburbs. The vehicles will be used during election duty in the upcoming assembly elections on October 13.u00a0The collectors are acting on complaints made by election officers, who say the government officials refuse to hand over their vehicles, which they are legally bound to do as per the Representation of People's Act, 1951.The EC can suspend government officers who may never be reinstated unless the EC gives its ok. The election officers use the cars before and during the elections to check if there are any anomalies. GOVT CAR-NAMA: These state government vehicles are used by the election officers before and during the elections to check if there are any anomalies.While the directive was dated August 30, the requisition drive began on Wednesday. Confirming the move, chief electoral officer, Debashish Chakrabarty, said, The collector has begun the requisition of government vehicles from the government officials for election duty, as only he has the power to do so. Government officials who are bound to give up their vehicles include all IAS officers, BMC officers, corporators, nationalised bank officers and public sector undertakings. The chief minister, cabinet ministers, are exempt, but their secretaries are not. The driver is also used on election duty.Surrender nowA driver of a state health department officer, whose car was seized by the RTO officials on Tuesday said, I was caught near CST station, while I was heading to office with my boss. RTO officials stopped the car and told me to drop my boss to office and then surrender the car to them.Another driver, whose boss is an officer with the Bombay Port Trust said they were asked to abandon the vehicle mid-way to the office.My boss had to take a cab. He was asked by the RTO to take a cab on his way back home as the car and his driver was being taken for election duty. So far 40 cars have been requisitioned in the city. The cars are returned only after the elections.Sanjay Bhagwat, deputy district election officer said, I have had many officers come to my office and snivel.u00a0They say I could have targeted somebody else, why them.u00a0 Consequently, some officials play smart by displaying a logo saying, 'on election duty'.Bhagwat said election officers had sent out letters to government officers asking them to hand over their vehicles for election duty two months ago, but not a single officer has bothered to comply. We were forced to take this step, he said.No government officer was willing to comment.On Election DutyElection officers who use the cars include, zonal officer, returning officer, assistant returning officer, addl returning officer, video cameraman and accompanying police officers. There are also 10 IAS officers who are part of election duty.300Number of cars required for election duty in the city. The shortfall is made up by hiring u00a0cabs and buses820Number of cars required for election duty in the suburbs