PATNA, Sept. 26 -- The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued directives to the top brass of the Bihar administration to complete the exercise of mandatory transfers of officers and employees involved in election-related work by October 6. The ECI has already intensified preparations for the state polls and the order to carry out transfers is for all the government departments. This indicates that the official election announcement could come anytime after October 6. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Vinod Singh Gunjiyal also sent separate letters to the chief secretary, DGP, and additional chief secretaries of various departments, citing the ECI letter dated September 22. The guidelines specify that as per the ECI's consistent policy, no officer or employee directly connected with election-related work will be allowed to remain posted in their home district, and any officer or employee who has completed three years or more in the same district by November 30 will be compulsorily transferred. The letters extend beyond election-specific personnel and include officials down the line of the administrative hierarchy and include promotion to a post within the district for calculating the three-year period, except those posted in the headquarters. "The instructions shall cover not only officers appointed for specific election duties like DEOs, Dy. DEOs, RO/AROs, EROs/AEROs, officers appointed as nodal officers of any specific election work, but also district officers like ADMs, SDMs, dy collector/joint collector, tehsildar, BDO or any other officer of equal rank directly deployed for election works," says the letter. The order applies equally to the police force, covering officials from the ADG, IG, DIG, commandants, SSPs, SPs down to inspectors. However, personnel engaged in computerisation, the special branch, and training have been exempted, as are officers/officials who are not directly connected with elections like doctors, engineers, teachers/principals etc. Officers of the excise and prohibition department with over three years at the same posting will also face transfers. EC officials emphasised that these transfers aimed to eliminate local influence, prevent partisan activities, and boost public confidence in the poll process....