Block Development Officers in Bengal pressuring BLOs to withdraw names from election duties, alleges BJP

Kolkata, Sep 26 (IANS) The West Bengal BJP unit, on Friday, complained to the office of State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal, accusing that a section of the block development officers (BDOs) in the state are putting pressure on their subordinate staff appointed as booth-level officers (BLOs) to withdraw from the election duties allotted to them by the Election Commission of India (ECI).

In the letter to the CEO, the state BJP leaders have claimed that certain BDOs had been making phone calls to the proposed permanent state government employees, who have been appointed as BLOs, pressurising them to write letters expressing unwillingness to perform duties as BLOs.

"This is being done with the active support of their superior officers. Such actions directly undermine the purpose of appointing permanent employees as BLOs, and will adversely affect the transparency, impartiality, and integrity of the Special Intensive Revision, which the ECI is committed to conducting throughout the country," the letter from the state BJP unit to the CEO said.

In the letter, the state BJP leadership has claimed that there had been an orchestrated effort by the West Bengal government to leave out the names of permanent state government employees while being appointed as BLOs and replace them with contractual state government employees.

The state BJP leadership has also submitted a list of permanent state government employees, who are yet to be appointed as BLOs.

"We are now submitting a further list of 1,898 permanent employees proposed to replace the temporary workers presently working as BLOs in the respective Assembly seats. The said list is enclosed herewith for your kind consideration," the letter added.

In the letter, the state BJP leadership has said that the replacement of temporary staff with permanent state government employees was necessary since the permanent state government employees could not be subjected to undue pressure, coercion or influence from local administrative authorities to withdraw from the BLO duties allotted to them.

--IANS

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