Sanitary Workers Overstep Boundaries in Voter Registration Drive
In a surprising development that has raised eyebrows among both citizens and officials, sanitary workers employed by the Coimbatore corporation were discovered collecting special intensive revision (SIR) enumeration forms from residents in the Olympus area of Ramanathapuram on Thursday.
This unusual activity came to light when sources revealed that workers typically responsible for door-to-door waste collection had simultaneously taken up the task of gathering SIR forms from the public. The incident occurred in the noticeable absence of the authorized booth level officers (BLOs) who are legally mandated to handle such electoral documentation.
Violation of Established Electoral Norms
At least three sanitary workers participated in the SIR form collection drive in the Olympus area, directly contravening established electoral procedures. According to official norms, only designated BLOs should collect these important voter registration forms from citizens, sign them appropriately, and provide a signed copy back to the voter as proof of submission.
A corporation councillor representing the ruling party expressed serious concerns about this inappropriate deployment of sanitation staff. "Every official is involved in the SIR form collection, leaving behind routine civic work. This includes sanitary workers as well, even contract sanitary workers", the councillor revealed.
The councillor further emphasized that involving sanitary workers in electoral activities is both inappropriate and unapproved, especially when the corporation is already grappling with significant manpower shortages in essential services like waste collection and source segregation.
Sanitation Crisis Worsens Due to Diverted Resources
The unauthorized involvement of sanitation staff in electoral work comes at a particularly challenging time for Coimbatore's civic infrastructure. The corporation faces a critical manpower shortage in waste management operations, and diverting sanitary workers to form collection duties threatens to exacerbate the already precarious sanitation situation throughout the city.
According to the councillor's statement, there appears to be significant pressure on engineering staff to meet ambitious targets, with each assistant engineer reportedly assigned to collect two lakh forms before the December 4 deadline. This overwhelming target may be contributing to the inappropriate deployment of unauthorized personnel.
A senior official from the district administration confirmed that sanitary workers have no legal authority to participate in SIR form collection activities. "Anyone involved in collecting SIR enumeration forms must operate under the direct monitoring of the BLOs", the official stated unequivocally.
The official further assured that the corporation commissioner would be formally informed about the improper involvement of sanitary workers in electoral duties, with measures being implemented to prevent similar incidents from occurring in other areas of the city.
This incident highlights the tension between competing civic priorities and raises important questions about the proper allocation of municipal resources during critical electoral exercises.
