Kolkata, Dec 8 (LatestNewsX) – After persistent pressure from the Election Commission of India (ECI), the West Bengal government finally disbursed the first payment to the booth‑level officers (BLOs) who are working on the state’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) campaign.
The released amount totals ₹51 crore, according to a finance‑department official.
Last week, the ECI reminded the state that it owes ₹70 crore for BLO salaries, since under the established rules the state must cover the wages of these officers, who are state employees.
The commission had previously sent two letters to Nabanna, the state secretariat, urging the release of the required funds. Monday’s payment marked the end of that delay.
Each BLO is slated to receive roughly ₹14 000, while BLO supervisors will get about ₹18 000. At present, 81 000 BLOs are on the ground for the SIR work.
The BLOs began their tasks on Nov 4 and will finish once the draft voter’s list is published on Dec 16. Their early responsibilities focus on distributing and collecting enumeration forms and uploading the data via the BLO app.
In the initial phases some BLOs were warned after it was discovered they were concentrating form distribution and collection in a single location, rather than following the commission’s directive to visit voter doorsteps for both activities.
During this first stage, several reports emerged of BLOs taking their own lives or dying, allegedly due to the intense pressure of the SIR workload.
Stay informed on all the latest news, real-time breaking news updates, and follow all the important headlines in world News on Latest NewsX. Follow us on social media Facebook, Twitter(X), Gettr and subscribe our Youtube Channel.
