Are Teachers Being Forced to Work at Government Schools Before Their BLO Duties?
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Synopsis
Teachers in West Bengal are raising alarms over being compelled to fulfill dual roles as educators and booth-level officers (BLOs) during the Special Intensive Revision. With complaints lodged to the Election Commission of India, the situation could lead to significant changes in how school duties are managed in relation to electoral responsibilities.
Key Takeaways
- Teachers in West Bengal are facing dual responsibilities as educators and BLOs.
- Complaints have been filed with the Election Commission regarding excessive workload.
- The ECI is taking these complaints seriously and plans to intervene with the state government.
- The digitization of enumeration forms is ongoing, with a significant number already completed.
- The deadline for this process is November 30, with full completion expected by March next year.
Kolkata, Nov 23 (NationPress) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has received numerous grievances regarding the management of various state-operated schools in West Bengal. Teachers have reported that they are not being excused from their regular teaching responsibilities to serve as booth-level officers (BLOs) during the Special Intensive Revision process in the state.
These BLOs, who are primarily educators from different state-run schools in West Bengal, have expressed concerns that their school administrations are disregarding the commission’s directive, which clearly states that while the SIR exercise is in progress, the BLOs should be freed from their teaching duties to fulfill their responsibilities as BLOs.
Teachers serving as BLOs have voiced that they are being “compelled” to fulfill their teaching obligations in the morning and then transition to BLO responsibilities in the afternoon.
This situation is causing not only a burden of excessive workload but also hindering the process of collecting enumeration forms from voters, digitizing them, and uploading the data through the BLO App.
According to sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, the ECI is taking these complaints against school authorities very seriously and plans to reach out to the state government soon to ensure teachers are excused from their regular teaching roles during BLO duties.
Another concern raised by BLOs involves the server pressure that is often slowing down the uploading of enumeration forms, complicating the task of meeting the commission’s goal of uploading at least 150 forms each day.
The commission has instructed its technical team to resolve this issue quickly, according to sources from the CEO's office.
As per the latest data from the CEO's office, by 6 p.m. on Saturday, the digitization of 3.15 crore enumeration forms was accomplished.
The total number of voters in West Bengal, according to the electoral roll as of October 27, stands at 7,66,37,529.
The commission aims to complete the digitization of enumeration forms by November 30.
The entire SIR procedure is expected to conclude by March next year.
The last time the SIR was conducted in West Bengal was in 2002.
Point of View
Our commitment is to uphold the integrity of the education system while ensuring electoral processes are conducted smoothly. The grievances raised by teachers highlight a crucial intersection of education and civic duty that requires immediate attention from state authorities. It is imperative that we find a balance that respects the roles of educators while ensuring a fair electoral process.
NationPress
23/11/2025
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the roles of booth-level officers?
Booth-level officers (BLOs) are responsible for ensuring smooth electoral processes, including the collection and digitization of voter information.
What complaints have teachers made regarding their duties?
Teachers have complained that they are being compelled to fulfill both teaching and BLO responsibilities, leading to excessive workload and inefficiencies.
What action is the Election Commission taking?
The Election Commission is addressing these complaints seriously and will communicate with the state government to ensure teachers are excused from their regular teaching duties.
What is the deadline for digitizing enumeration forms?
The deadline for completing the digitization of enumeration forms is set for November 30.
When was the last Special Intensive Revision conducted?
The last Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal took place in 2002.
