West Bengal chief secretary sends compliance report to ECI ahead of Assembly elections

The West Bengal chief secretary has sent a compliance letter to the Election Commission (EC), which had asked her to follow certain directions issued by it, including action against certain officials and payment of enhanced remuneration to booth-level officers (BLOs).

EC officials said West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravarty sent her compliance report before the 5 pm deadline set by the poll authority.

“The Commission, which is on a visit to Assam, will examine the same on its return from the review tour,” an official said.

Chakravarty was called by the EC as she took over as the chief secretary in January this year. West Bengal is set to have assembly elections in the next two months. Besides, the EC top brass also wanted to discuss pending issues with her, the functionary added.

In a meeting with Chakravarty on February 13, the EC had asked her to comply by February 17 with its directions, including payment of enhanced remuneration to BLOs and lodging of FIRs against errant officials who wilfully violated norms during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The EC has pulled up the West Bengal Government for not releasing the increased honorarium for booth-level officers (BLOs) and the additional payment approved for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

In August last year, the poll panel had doubled the annual remuneration of BLOs from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000 and raised the payment for BLO supervisors from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000. It also approved an honorarium for electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs). Another key issue is the EC’s directions to the State Government to lodge FIRs against errant officials who “wilfully flouted” norms.