People demand removal of ineligible booth level officers ahead of voter roll revision in Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: Ahead of the nationwide Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls announced by the Election Commission, a group of residents of Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar objected to the appointment of allegedly ineligible Booth Level Officers in the district and sought their immediate removal.The residents said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Maharashtra will be conducted through BLOs and that their appointment must strictly comply with provisions laid down under section 13B(2) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The Act clearly specifies the categories of govt, semi-govt and local body employees who are eligible to be appointed as BLOs.When contacted, deputy collector (Elections) Devendra Katke said, "As far as my understanding goes, efforts have been made to make appointments in accordance with the set norms. Still, if some residents feel that ineligible people have been appointed, we will look into the matter and take appropriate corrective measures."The memorandum alleged that several BLOs currently working in the district are laboratory or library attendants and assistants, who do not fall under the notified eligible categories. "Such appointments are contrary to statutory provisions and may compromise the integrity and credibility of the voter roll revision process," the residents said in the representation.They further pointed out that laboratory and library attendants generally belong to non-promotional cadres and are often SSC pass or fail employees drawing lower pay scales. In contrast, employees listed under the Act, such as teachers and clerical staff, are usually graduates or postgraduates and are considered better suited to handle sensitive electoral work, including verification and updating of voter data.Residents emphasised that Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district has adequate eligible manpower to carry out the SIR smoothly. According to the memorandum, the district has nearly 9,000 to 10,000 aided teachers, in addition to adequate clerical staff in urban areas, who can be deployed as BLOs. "Despite the availability of trained and qualified personnel, non-eligible laboratory staff are being used, which defeats the purpose of the statutory framework," the memorandum said.As per the Representation of the People Act and EC guidelines, the 13 categories eligible for appointment as BLOs include teachers, anganwadi workers, patwari, amin or lekhpal, panchayat secretaries, village-level workers, electricity bill readers, postmen, auxiliary nurse midwives, health workers, mid-day meal workers, contract teachers, and clerical staff such as upper division clerks and lower division clerks in urban areas.The residents demanded that laboratory and library attendants or assistants be relieved from BLO duties with immediate effect and that only employees from the notified categories be deployed to ensure transparency and lawful conduct of the SIR exercise.The residents maintained that soon copies of the memorandum will also be forwarded to the Chief Justice of the Bombay high court, the chief minister's office, the Election Commission in New Delhi, and the State Election Commission in Mumbai, seeking intervention to ensure that the electoral roll revision is conducted strictly as per law.