FIR against 14 school teachers in Mumbai for failing to turn up for SIR duty

Times News Network

Mumbai: Three separate FIRs have been registered against 14 school teachers from educational institutions in Borivli and Dahisar for not turning up for special intensive revision (SIR) duty and violating govt orders.

Two of the cases pertain to Magathane Vidhan Sabha constituency. In both these cases, the FIRs were registered by the Kasturba Marg police and Dahisar police on the basis of complaints given by assistant voter registration officers working on the SIR exercise.

In the first case, six assistant teachers from a school in Borivli East were selected to function as booth level officers (BLOs) as part of SIR. Despite communication with the school principal and a notice being issued, the assistant teachers did not turn up for SIR duty, according to the FIR lodged by Dahisar police. A second notice was issued on April 19, but to no avail, following which a police complaint was lodged.

In the second case, seven assistant teachers had been selected from another school and junior college in Borivli East to function as BLOs for the exercise. The FIR says that there was a requirement of 75 BLOs at the Magathane Vidhan Sabha constituency office. The seven assistant teachers did not turn up despite repeatedly being summoned for SIR duty, according to the FIR lodged by Kasturba Marg police.

The third case pertained to a municipal school teacher from Malad, who had been roped in for BLO duty but did not turn up. The police complaint lodged by the supervisory officer with SIR states that the teacher was contacted over her mobile phone, but she did not answer calls. The FIR said the teacher was absent from May 6 and has not submitted work-related reports. Dahisar police have lodged the FIR.

A BLO is a govt or semi-govt official appointed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to act as the custodian of the electoral roll at the polling booth level. BLOs are usually drawn from local institutions such as schools, govt offices, or other public sector organizations. Teachers, anganwadi workers, village-level workers, civic employees, and employees of the GST department, Mhada, collector’s office etc. are mainly appointed as BLOs.

Six phases of SIR

* The SIR programme will be conducted in six phases: pre-revision, enumeration, preparation of AASD (Already Enrolled, Absent, Shifted, Dead) lists to which citizens can raise their suggestions and objections, publication of draft electoral rolls, claims and objections, and publication of the final rolls

*The last special intensive revision in Maharashtra was conducted in the year 2002, nearly 24 years ago

*Officials said changes in electoral rolls are necessary due to factors such as migration, duplicate entries, deceased voters, or illegal inclusion of foreign nationals. Accordingly, the SIR programme is being implemented across Maharashtra, including Mumbai region