In recent weeks, West Bengal’s election officials have come under fire for appointing nearly 4,500 state‑government workers as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across about 2,000 polling booths. The moves appear to violate the Election Commission of India’s (ECI) strict guidelines that dictate how these positions should be filled.
The ECI says only permanent Category‑C state employees—or state‑school teachers—qualified as BLOs. Contractual staff can only be considered if there is no sufficient pool of permanent workers or teachers. Even then, the district electoral office must justify the hire and get approval from the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).
Sources in the CEO’s office report that most of these contractual hires were made without the necessary justification or CEO approval. As a result, district‑level officials who cleared the appointments may have to explain their actions to the commission. If they can’t provide satisfactory answers, disciplinary steps could follow, according to existing rules.
The CEO has already asked the District Magistrates, who double as District Election Officers, to file detailed reports on the irregularities.
A recent letter from West Bengal’s CEO, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, also called out a reluctance among some state‑school teachers to take up BLO duties, despite a Calcutta High Court order urging them to comply. The CEO warned that teachers who refuse could face disciplinary action after a set period.
These developments underscore the importance of following ECI standards for fair and transparent election staffing in West Bengal.
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