Election Commission Issues New Guidelines on EROs and BLOs
Commission Issues New Guidelines on EROs and BLOs
After Lok Sabha election 2014, the Election Commission had constituted several working groups consisting of CEOs and senior offices of the Commission to discuss different aspects of election management and give suggestions for further improvements. The 1st Working Group deliberated on different aspects of electoral roll including various issues relating to EROs/AEROs. It submitted its recommendations to the Commission. The Commission has considered the recommendations and has issued today necessary directions to CEOs -
· In case of an application submitted online, the process of verification of such application shall be done only after the applicant uploads relevant documents in support of his identity and photo. In the absence of it, the EROs may reject the application, at preliminary stage itself, and the applicant accordingly be informed online. The EROs shall fix one day in a week for verification of the on-line applications.
· If the applicant for inclusion /deletion or correction of name has given its mobile /email id, then acknowledgement receipt of his application will be sent electronically by SMS/e-mail and also of each stage of disposal of his application.
· If an applicant for inclusion of name in the electoral roll by filing Form 6 doesn’t fill up part IV of of the form to give details of his earlier registration/residence, then such Form 6 should be rejected by the concerned EROs.
· Each ERO/AERO shall be given one computer with internet connectivity, one printer, one telephone and one data entry operator, wherever such infrastructure is not available, so that the electoral roll/EPIC related works do not suffer.
· The Commission has directed that EROs/AEROs can be sanctioned TA/DA as per rules applicable to the concerned state for their tours in the field in connection with exercise relating to preparation/revision of electoral roll.
· There should be one BLO for one polling station who should be, to the extent possible, a local resident. Where female registration is very low, there female BLOs should be appointed to motivate the unregistered women to come forward and get them enrolled in electoral rolls.
· The Commission has directed that BLOs of the polling stations comprised in cantonment areas, should be replaced by, as far as practicable, the BLOs who are staff of the concerned cantonment authorities.
· The Commission has further directed that BLOs shall sit at the Polling Station assigned to them at least once in two months so that the electors in the area may visit the concerned Polling Station for checking/searching their details in electoral roll and, if needed, submit necessary claims/objections for new enrolment/correction/deletion of the existing entry.
· To supervise and monitor the work done by BLOs, BLO Supervisors should be appointed who should be drawn from class II officials of the State Government.
· A well defined system of incentives and disincentives for BLOs is being put in place. The existing rate of remuneration/honorarium to BLOs has been increased to a minimum honorarium of Rs. 6000/- per annum which means a hike of Rs 1000/- For a BLO a supervisor an annual honorarium is Rs. 12000/ .Besides, the Commission has also approved the proposal for a minimum amount of Rs. 1000/- per annum for a BLO for house visits made by him during the period of summary revision. Also that that BLOs should necessarily be sanctioned TA/DA, if they make travels outside their Polling Station areas for the purpose of training.
Election Commission of India
New Delhi : 10th July,2015
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