Punjab poll: BLO staff to get money directly into account

Aparna Banerji

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Tribune News Service

Jalandhar, January 23

The Election Commission (EC) shall be paying Rs 7,000 to its booth level officers (BLOs) for the election duties this year. It is also the first time that the amount shall be directly credited into their accounts.

While Rs 6,000 shall be paid for duties, Rs 1,000 is the allowance of the distribution of voter slips ahead of the elections to the people in their areas.

The allowances for election duties for the BLO staff had been Rs 3,000 until the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. It is for the first time that an amount of Rs 7,000 shall be paid to the polling staff. The DC office has issued money to all returning officers (ROs) to be paid to the BLOs and sector observers for the duties conducted by them.

While the BLOs shall get election duty allowance of Rs 7,000, the presiding officers shall get Rs 1,550 and assistant presiding officers (APROs) Rs 2,000 as poll duty allowances.

Special provisions have also been made to ensure “aloo paranthas” for breakfast on the election day to the staff. The Election Commission has also ensured that roti-sabzi-salad and dal are provided to the staff who shall be on duty at night.

In earlier elections, poll duty staff allowances had usually been marked by delays. This year, however, the money shall be directly credited into the accounts of those on duty.

Notably, while over 10,000 staff has been pressed into election duties in the district, about 2,000 staff members shall be conducting the BLO duties.

Rakesh Kumar, president, Union of BLOs, Jalandhar, said, “It’s a great relief that the DC has already cleared our allowances to be received for this year’s elections. It’s going to be a great fillip to the staff on duty because formerly the allowances had always been received manually (cash or cheques), which was a tedious process and sometimes the delays were of as many as six months.”

ADC Girish Dayalan said, “While the money might be directly sent to the BLOs’ accounts, regarding the APROs and PROs, it isn’t certain yet. The ECI has also made provisions for five meals for the election staff with Rs 150 per day which is provided as diet allowance as per the ECI norms.”