Kolkata, Aug 4 (UNI) In a significant development the Calcutta High Court today directed the primary school teachers in the state to serve as Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
Without interfering into the directives issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI), the court observed that the primary teachers should work as BLO’s for the sake of national interest.
The issue came up for hearing after primary school teachers filed a petition objecting to their appointment as BLOs by the Election Commission.
They argued that, in addition to teaching students from Monday to Saturday, they are already burdened with several other responsibilities, and therefore should be exempt from taking on
this additional duty.
During the hearing, Justice Amrita Sinha observed in court that the Election Commission has not yet clearly specified the duties of BLOs. Nor has it mentioned how many hours they are expected to work. So why are the petitioning primary school teachers assuming they will be required to work full-time as BLOs?
The Commission will define the duties in due time. But in the interest of the country, primary school teachers must take up this role. The judge added that teachers must carry out BLO responsibilities outside of their regular school working hours.
The court reasoned that election duties fall within the terms of service for primary teachers, as well as other government employees. Moreover, since the precise responsibilities of BLOs have not yet been outlined, there should be no objection to doing this work in their additional time.
The Calcutta High Court’s directive follows a Supreme Court judgment in a similar case in Kerala, which ruled that Booth Level Officer (BLO) duties must not interfere with an individual’s regular job responsibilities and should be undertaken only after completing their primary work.
It is worth mentioning that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll has already been completed in Bihar and it is to begin across the co supposed to begin in the rest of the country, including in West Bengal.
Sources in the Election Commission said that letters have already been sent to the offices of the Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all states and union territories. The letters instruct that the recruitment and training of BLOs, BLO supervisors, and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) must be completed. CEOs have also been asked to immediately submit related information. Against this backdrop, the High Court’s directive on BLO appointments has come.
