SIR in Bengal: BLOs in 2,000 booths likely to be replaced for violating ECI norms

Kolkata, Oct 3 (IANS) Booth-level officers in over 2,000 booths in different districts of West Bengal might be replaced shortly, following severe violations of the Election Commission of India (ECI)’s directives regarding the criteria for BLRO appointment.

An insider from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) stated that the District Magistrates concerned, who are also District Election Officers for the respective districts where these 2,000 booths have been identified, have already been directed by the CEO’s office to submit detailed reports on the anomalies.

“Once the individual reports from the District Magistrates are available, then the process of replacing the irregular appointments will start strictly following the ECI-set guidelines on BLO appointments. Under any circumstance, the replacement procedure will be completed before the beginning of the ECI-proposed special intensive revision in the state," a CEO office insider said.

As per the ECI guidelines, there should be a pattern for appointment for BLO appointments that is uniform for all Indian states.

First, the permanent state government employees in the category of Group-C or above and teaching staff in state-run schools should be considered for appointments of BLOs.

In case adequate numbers are not available from the Group-C category permanent state government employees and teachers in state-run schools are not available, only then, contractual state government employees could be considered for appointment as BLOs.

However, according to the CEO’s office insider, each appointment of contractual staff as a BLO has to be justified from the district level, and concurrence for the same should be granted from the CEO’s office.

“However, of late, it has come to the notice of the CEO’s office that in around 2,000 booths in a number of districts, appointments of contractual state government employees have been made despite the availability of permanent state government employees or teachers in state-run schools for the same. At the same time, all these irregular appointments were done without the concurrence from the CEO’s office,” the insider said.

Recently, the CEO, West Bengal Manoj Kumar Agarwal, had sent a letter to the State Education Department complaining about the reluctance among a section of teaching staff in state-run schools to accept BLO duty, despite a clear instruction on this count from a single-judge bench of the Calcutta High Court. The CEO’s office had also cautioned of disciplinary action against such teachers if they do not join BLO duties after a certain period of time.

--IANS

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