15 January,2026 10:32 PM IST | Mumbai | mid-day online correspondent
Despite receiving written orders, the staff members remained absent from duty, an official said. Representational Pic/File
The police have registered a case against as many as 155 government employees for allegedly failing to report for poll duty during the Maharashtra local body elections, an official said on Thursday, reported the PTI.
The employees belong to Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar in the Marathwada region and nearby areas under Phulambri and Gangapur Panchayat Samiti. They were assigned election-related duties but did not collect polling materials or report for work, officials said.
Despite receiving written orders, the staff members remained absent from duty, the official added.
Polling for 29 municipal corporations across Maharashtra, including the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, was held on January 15. The counting of votes will take place on January 16.
Based on a complaint filed by Assistant Commissioner Uday Manwatkar of the Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar Municipal Corporation, the City Chowk police registered a case against the employees under the Representation of the People Act for dereliction of official duty, the news agency reported.
Meanwhile, in an another incident earlier, the Kalyan Dombivli Municipal Corporation (KDMC) had registered FIR against 80 teaching and non-teaching staff members of Pawar Public School in Palava area of Dombivli (East), for allegedly remaining absent from mandatory election training for the KDMC Election 2026.
However, the school management has stated that while it duly informed all selected staff about the election duty, their absence was a matter of individual choice and not institutional non-compliance.
The FIR was registered at Bazarpeth Police Station in Kalyan West on Sunday evening under Section 223 (disobedience to an order duly promulgated by a public servant) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), 2023.
The complaint was lodged by Assistant Municipal Commissioner Sandeep Rokade, who stated that official orders appointing 80 staff members as presiding officers and polling officers were issued on January 6 under the authority of the Municipal Commissioner and Election Officer.
"Despite written orders, repeated telephonic communication, and reminders issued over a six-day period from January 6 to January 11, the appointed personnel failed to attend compulsory election training programmes organised by the civic body, adversely affecting election preparedness," Rokade said in his police statement.
Responding to the allegations, Pawar Public School principal Ishita Chowdhury said the institution had received three notices from KDMC - on December 19, 2025, December 29, 2025, and January 9, 2026 - which were promptly forwarded to all 122 teaching and non-teaching staff members selected for election duty.
"The school administration did its part by informing the staff as and when notices were received. However, it was their individual decision not to attend the training," Chowdhury said.
"I can appeal to the staff, but I cannot force them into doing something they do not want to do," she added.
Chowdhury further stated that following the registration of the FIR, the school took immediate steps to ensure compliance.
"On Sunday, after the FIR was filed, we asked all staff to attend the training. We kept the school on a half-day on Monday, sent students home early, and allowed the staff to report for training," she said.
According to her, around 25 staff members had attended the training even before the FIR was registered, while an additional 50 to 55 teaching and non-teaching staff attended the programme on Monday.
Some staff members reportedly refused to report for election duty citing medical or health-related reasons. Others pointed to their past experiences during Lok Sabha and State Assembly elections.
"The conditions were pathetic. There were no washrooms, no breaks, and duty hours stretched from eight to twelve hours," said a teacher.
"There were pregnant women and people with health issues, but no consideration was given. That is why many of us did not want to go through the same ordeal again," said another teacher.
Pawar Public School is also designated as one of the polling centres for the upcoming KDMC elections.
Meanwhile, a school administration official said discussions had been held with the police following the FIR.
"We have spoken to the police and agreed to do what is necessary. The police have assured us that they will squash the FIR once there is compliance from our end," the official said.
