Kolkata, July 23 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the West Bengal government to create a separate department with a dedicated budget to make the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) functional and ensure institutional independence. The letter from the ECI secretariat to Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant, dated July 17, came less than a year before assembly polls are due in the state. "Create a separate election department, completely delinked from any other department of the state government. The election department should have a dedicated budget head. This will facilitate full financial and administrative autonomy to the CEO, as required for the effective and impartial conduct of elections," said the letter. At present, CEO's office functions as a subordinate branch of the state home and hill affairs department which is led by a principal secretary level officer. The CEO himself holds the rank of additional chief secretary. Also, the CEO's office has to function with limited financial powers relying on a minor permanent advance from the finance department. In the letter, ECI noted that the CEO's office lacked financial and administrative autonomy. Neither CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal nor Pant could not be reached out for a comment despite several attempts. The poll panel directed the Trinamool Congress government to delegate suitable financial powers, at par with additional chief secretary and principal secretary of other departments, to the CEO. "A separate financial advisor needs to be posted in the election department to assist the CEO in effective discharge of his official duties. Further, in view of the upcoming general election to the legislative assembly of West Bengal, to ensure institutional preparedness and seamless coordination, you are also requested to fill up the four vacant posts of additional CEO, joint CEO and deputy CEOs in the office of the CEO in consultation with the commission," the letter stated. Over the past few weeks, West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee has attacked ECI over its decision to conduct a door-to-door special intensive revision of electoral rolls, beginning with Bihar. "ECI is doing whatever it feels like to give advantage to the BJP in the election by manipulating the voters' list," said Jay Prakash Majumdar, TMC spokesperson. "ECI's office should be allowed to work independently. ECI made important move to allow the CEO's office to function without having to depend on the state," said Rahul Sinha, senior BJP leader....