Booth-level officers demand their due

KOCHI: The state government employees who have been functioning as booth-level officers (BLO) are a dejected lot. They are yet to receive the remuneration announced by the government for the last one year. Last October the Election Commission (EC) decided to appoint state government officials as BLOs in polling booths. The BLOs had to prepare the voters list sans discrepancies, sit in the assigned polling booths and accept applications for inclusion  and deletion of names in the voters list, transfer of franchise to other booths etc. Deletion of names resulting after death or transfer of residence have to be conducted through field work. Duties were carried out on second Saturdays and Sundays. For the work done for one year the EC had declared Rs 3,000 as remuneration but only Rs 1,000 has been paid so far.A section of the employees were caught in dilemma when EC assigned twin duties. The employees who had been assigned the charge of BLO had to issue ‘voter ID slips’ prior to the voting day and also were designated as polling officials in other booths. The polling official had to report at the polling booths on the previous day of the polls. To make the election process more transparent, the EC decided to issue the voter slips directly to the voters. The officials found it difficult to carry out the twin tasks as each BLO had to cover 400 to 500 houses numbering 1,000 to 1,500 voters. Thus the EC summoned mainly women employees on the polling booth premises to issue voters slip on the polling day. The EC released the remuneration to them but avoided the BLOs who have been working since November last year. When contacted, the EC officials said that those who have done polling duty and distribution of voters slip are eligible for only single remuneration. Another hardship for the BLOs was the distribution of voters slip in advance. They had to keep away from their offices to carry out this work which affected their duties in the office. They also had to be away from their office during the training classes for the election. Not only that many BLOs were alien to the place. The officials who had been assigned with the twin duties had submitted a memorandum to the district election officials. The EC officials had pointed out the paucity of staff as the reason for assigning twin duties to the concerned. Now the BLOs who have not been remunerated fully have an appeal, either exempt them from further duties or pay them the balance cash.