Shillong, June 1: BDR Tiwari, IAS, has been appointed as the new Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Meghalaya, following the successful tenure of IAS officer Frederick Roy Kharkongor.
BDR Tiwari, the newly appointed CEO, is currently serving as the joint Secretary to the Government of Meghalaya. His appointment was officially announced on May 18, 2023.
FR Kharkongor served as the Chief Electoral Officer from 2016 to 2023.
During his tenure, FR Kharkongor made significant contributions to the electoral landscape of Meghalaya. Among notable initiatives implemented under his aegis were Mission UNITE and Mission 300, which aimed to foster a sense of responsibility and encourage young individuals to exercise their voting rights.
Under FR Kharkongor’s guidance, the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Meghalaya was recognized and honoured with a Special Award for Information Technology applications in Elections by the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the National Best Electoral Practices Awards-2020. The award was virtually presented by President Ram Nath Kovind to Kharkongor at the National Voters’ Day Award function held in New Delhi and another was the National Award to Meghalaya for outstanding campaign for Voter education under SVEEP and effective outreach measures and in forging effective partnerships for voter awareness in the State Assembly Elections 2018.
Also, FR Kharkongor successfully oversaw the conduct of two State Assembly General Elections and one General Parliamentary Election.
