NEW DELHI: The appointment of a salaried employee with the India International Centre (IIC) as the returning officer for the ongoing election for one trustee and two members in the Executive Committee has raised eyebrows. While this has happened for the first time, the IIC secretariat said it has been done as per the existing election bye-laws.
Some the members of this prestigious institution said the IIC should have taken help of an expert from outside or could have even availed the service of some members who were earlier in the Election Commission rather than appointing the director of the institution, who is in the centre’s roll, as RO.
In response to a set of emailed questions behind such a decision, the IIC secretary, Kanwal Wali said, “The Memorandum of Association and Rules and Regulations of the Centre and the Election Bye-Laws govern the conduct of elections of members to the Board of Trustees and Executive Committee. The Election Bye-Laws reads subject to overall supervision of the Election Committee, the director shall act as the returning officer and perform all such functions and do all such acts and things as may be necessary for effectually conducting all elections in the manner provided by or under the rules and bye-laws of the Centre.”
He said the RO for the biennial elections at the IIC has been appointed in accordance with the Election Bye-Laws.
In his email response to whether this has been done for the first time, Wali said the IIC Election Bye-Laws were amended by its Board of Trustees in November 2019. The amended bye-laws provide for returning officer for the IIC elections on the lines of general elections to Parliament and state legislature.
On being asked whether the centre has received any complaint on this issue, Wali said one member had approached the Delhi High Court questioning the appointment of director, IIC as the RO for the ensuing biennial elections. “After the Court expressed its displeasure over such frivolous litigation, the petitioner withdrew the writ petition,” he claimed.