EC appoints sweepers, drivers and labourers to update voters' list

This year if you go to cast your vote in the Lok Sabha polls and dont find your name in the electoral rolls you can blame the Election Commissions EC bizarre decision to appoint sweepers drivers and labourers to review the voters list Sources said many of these workers cant even read As such they are illequipped to deal with the complex electoral paperwork and proceduresThe ECs own handbook lays down several guidelines for the process of updating the voters list This includes a very specific list of people who can be appointed for this allimportant taskThe task of updating the electoral roll is usually given to more qualified government or semigovernment officials see box Titled Booth Level Officers BLO they are entrusted with going doortodoor and verifying voter information This involves adding data on new voters in the area and removing voters who moved elsewhere or are deceased BLOs are usually deputed in their own area so they can use their local knowledge to update the listThis year the EC cited a staff crunch and asked the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation BMC Public Works Department PWD and Mantralaya to depute staff for the taskCitizens whose details are wrong or missing from the list will not be allowed to cast their vote Representation picWe dont understandLetters in possession with midday clearly state that carpenters labourers and peons from the PWD were assigned for the job From other agencies drivers and sweepers were deputed for the same job Not all of them seem up to the task however Some of the people who were with us couldnt even read I was assigned to an area I am not familiar with I dont know the official terminology either We were asked to fill forms and make entries in various registers Some didnt understand what to do but we were told to just follow the instructions and finish the job said a driverHad no choiceAnd whos to be blamed for any mistakes in the voters list A labourer appointed as BLO in ward number 171 MankhurdShivaji Nagar said We were assigned by our office with the warning that if we dont do the job we will face consequences We were also told that we will be held responsible for any mistakesRukhsana Siddiqui a corporator from ward 136 Mankhurd Bainganwadi Govandi said I am shocked How can the EC appoint Class IV employees for such an important job I cant imagine what impact it will have on the electoral lists I will meet the official concerned and question them about thisAll of them are likely to be graduates anywayShirish Mohod deputy chief electoral officer in Maharashtra admitted that the norms did not allow Class IV employees to be assigned as BLOs but claimed most of them are likely to be graduates anywayAs per the norms Class IV employees are not deputed for this task But sometimes in metro cities we dont have much work force Most of the Class IV staffers are graduates There may be one or two cases in which uneducated persons were deputed If someone brings this to our notice we will definitely act upon itTehsildar Milind Desai echoed Today even peons and sweepers are graduates so we shouldnt underestimate their skills Whatever forces we have received so far are doing well and we are happy with themWho can be appointedBLOs are governmentsemigovernment officials appointed in the same area they vote so they are familiar with other local voters They play a pivotal role in collecting field information about voters and updating the electoral rollEach BLO has one or two polling station areas under their jurisdiction According to the EC teachers Anganwadi workers panchayat secretary electricity meter readers postmen health workers midday meal workers and clerical staff in urban areas can be appointed as BLOAlso ReadVoter held for taking selfie inside polling booth in TelanganaCatch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and also a complete guide on Mumbai from food to things to do and events across the city here Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates