Election Commission sets strict rules for BLOs who make discrepancies in voter lists:The Election Commission has set strict rules, including suspension and action for non-compliance.

News Topical, Digital Desk : The Election Commission has decided to take strict action against booth-level officers (BLOs) who compromise the accuracy of voter lists. The Commission has clarified that if any BLO deliberately fails to follow instructions or is negligent, disciplinary action will be taken against them.

BLOs are ground-level election officials responsible for preparing and updating voter lists at their respective booths. Typically, a booth has about 970 voters, or 300 households.

The Election Commission, in its directive to the Chief Electoral Officers of the states, has said that action is necessary in cases like negligence in duty, wrongdoing, deliberate disobedience of orders or damaging the credibility of the voter list.

Under the new rules, the District Election Officer (DEO) can suspend a BLO found guilty and recommend a departmental inquiry against him. The concerned department will have to complete the action and report it within six months.

If the case is of a criminal nature, the DEO can also file an FIR against the BLO with the approval of the Chief Electoral Officer. Additionally, the Chief Electoral Officer of a state or union territory can decide to take action against the BLO either on their own or based on the DEO's report. The Election Commission will also be informed of this entire process.

The Election Commission says that the purpose of these steps is to keep the voter list completely accurate, transparent and reliable, so that the democratic process can be strengthened.