EC decided to send all-women's team of observers to Goa

With male officers treating election duty in Goa as an all-expenses paid fun trip, the Election Commission has for the first time decided to send an all-women team of general observers for poll duty in the sunshine state.

EC officials said that in the past, there were complaints against male officers sent on election duty to Goa. These included drinking during office hours and partying in clubs while supposedly being on duty. There were also allegations that in some cases, candidates were bearing the cost of entertainment of officials. In a few cases, the allegations were made by poll candidates.

EC officials said that even for the coming assembly elections in the state, several male officers were actively lobbying to be sent as poll observers. Putting paid to such hopes, the EC has selected 20 women officers, three each from Gujarat, Andhra Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh, two each from Haryana and Chhattisgarh and one each from Bihar, Jharkhand, Uttar Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra.

"We took the decision to finalise an all-women team so that lobbying can be put to rest. It is unfortunate but male officers see a month-long stint as observer as holiday in Goa. EC is in no mood to oblige them. We have pre-empted them now," a senior official said.

EC sources also said that officers had been given so much work that they would be left with not much leisure time. "Moreover, women officers are more conscientious," an EC official said.

This is the first time that EC is sending an all-women team as observer to any state. However, the poll body has retained male officers in the list of expenditure observers. Out of seven expenditure observers, there is only one female officer.