​Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar district administration seeks police deployment for action against BLOs evading SIR work

Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar: The district administration has sought deployment of police personnel to initiate action against booth level officers allegedly neglecting work related to the Election Commission’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.In a letter sent to the city police on July 6, the administration requested police assistance for issuing notices, conducting panchnamas, maintaining law and order and registering FIRs against erring booth level officers (BLOs), in coordination with the concerned electoral registration officer.The administration has sought 10 police personnel each for four assembly constituencies.Explaining the move, the letter stated, “The Election Commission of India has announced SIR 2026, under which the work of enumeration form (EF) distribution, door-to-door visits, form collection and digitisation has to be completed by the polling BLOs within the prescribed time limit.

However, it has been observed that some BLOs have been lax in the work assigned and have not started the work of EF distribution and digitisation.”It further said, “The cooperation of the police department is required to carry out action against BLOs effectively, legally and smoothly.”The move has raised concerns among some BLOs, many of whom are school teachers assigned election-related duties in addition to their regular responsibilities.

“Teachers have the experience of non-academic works, including election duties, for the past many years. BLOs who are found short of expectations must be contacted for discussion and counselling instead of any harsh action,” a zilla parishad teacher serving as a BLO said.District officials, however, defended the decision, stressing the importance of the exercise.“It has to be completed in a time-bound manner at any cost. Therefore, it is necessary for BLOs to give priority to the work assigned,” a senior district administration official said.