The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) of Bengal appointed by the Election Commission of India to conduct the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls are up in arms against the election panel, demanding “security, ‘on duty’ deputation and additional BLOs in case of larger booths,” failing which they would refuse to take up the responsibility of conducting a door-to-door survey.
“SIR is a very important job and a national duty which we are to discharge as government employees, but considering the fact that we have not been given ‘on duty’ deputation by the Commission and that in the present condition we will be expected to do our school work and then do a house-to-house survey of electoral rolls, it will physically and mentally be impossible for us. Besides considering the threats being issued from the rival political parties, there is a feeling of insecurity among the voters, and so there is a need for security to be provided by the Commission in sensitive areas. Apart from this, in booths with bigger populations, there is a need for an assistant BLO. These are the three demands we have placed before the Election Commission. They have said that they will forward our demands to the higher authorities,” a BLO and a schoolteacher from North 24 Parganas said.
Another BLO who had come from the final round of training at Nazrul Manch in South Kolkata said that “it will not be possible for us to take up our responsibility until we are provided security and given an ‘on duty’ exemption.” The lady teacher in a Kolkata government school said, “The Commission has not relieved us from the school duty. In that case, how is it possible for us to perform our school jobs throughout the day and then join our BLO duty in the evening? On normal days, teachers who come from the suburbs reach back home at 8 pm. Apart from this, things in the East are not how they are in the West because as winter approaches, evening comes early. And by 9-10 pm, it is midnight, so does the Commission want us to return home at 12 at night? Will it be safe for us women teachers? Then think what it will be like in the villages where there is no communication. Are we not human beings? Do you think the officials up there can complete this responsibility in this haphazard situation?”
The BLOs’ demands came amid senior TMC leaders, like the party general secretary, directing the workers to “tie up the officials that come to you and ask for the birth certificates of Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar’s father and Home Minister Amit Shah’s father.” Another TMC MLA, Shyamal Naskar, asked his party men to chase away the BLOs and the BJP men “if a single name is deleted from the voters’ lists.”
On the other hand, Bengal Opposition Leader Suvendu Adhikari warned the BLOs against any foul play, reminding them of the fate of the Bihar BLOs who were found guilty of dereliction of duty. “Remember, the BLOs who would not discharge their duties sincerely and play foul will face FIRs, suspension or even jail like those in Bihar,” Adhikari said.
Referring to the statements being issued by the rival leaders, another teacher said, “It will not be possible for us to take up the job unless adequate security is provided, particularly at a time when the situation is charged up like never before, with one side asking its workers to tie the BLOs with trees and the other side threatening them with FIRs, suspension and jail. In that case, how can we keep our cool and discharge our duties impartially if the Commission does not provide us with security?
“Earlier on Saturday, the BLOs of Kasba, Tollygunge, Jadavpur, Metiabruz, Behala Purba and Behala Paschim were trained under the South Kolkata Parliamentary Constituency.
Meanwhile, as the political heat started rising and a fourth person allegedly committed suicide out of fear, the top Trinamool Congress leadership decided to take out a massive rally led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and TMC general secretary Abhishek Banerjee on Tuesday, the day when SIR formally starts in Bengal.
Banerjee will hit the streets to protest against the “hidden agenda behind SIR” from the Ambedkar statue at Red Road to Jorasanko (near Rabindranath Tagore’s house) in North Kolkata.
Adhikari warned the BLOs against any foul play, reminding them of the fate of the Bihar BLOs who were found guilty of dereliction of duty