In a significant development, the Kolkata Police on Tuesday initiated a suo motu First Information Report (FIR) against a group of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who were staging a protest demonstration outside the office of the State Chief Electoral Officer in Kolkata.
Police Action and Official Statement
Deputy Commissioner (Central) Indira Mukherjee officially confirmed the registration of the case. She stated that the FIR was filed on behalf of the police force, based on the incidents that transpired during Monday's protest. The charges invoked include sections related to assaulting or using criminal force to deter public servants from performing their duty, alongside charges for causing mischief.
"The case was recorded on our behalf based on Monday's protest. We are investigating the case. As of now, none has been identified as an accused," clarified Mukherjee. This indicates that while the FIR has been formally lodged, the process of identifying and naming specific individuals is still underway.
Details of the BLOs' Agitation
The protest, which saw participation from a section of BLOs on both Monday and Tuesday, was centered outside the Chief Electoral Officer's (CEO) office. The demonstrators voiced strong grievances against what they termed as harassment due to frequent changes in rules and regulations governing their electoral duties. Despite clear prohibitions from the election commission, a group of BLOs remained steadfast at the protest site.
Monday's protest turned particularly tense when the agitating BLOs attempted to push past police barricades, leading to a scuffle with the law enforcement personnel present on site. The air was filled with raised slogans as the protest continued for over an hour.
Core Grievances of the Booth Level Officers
The protesting BLOs presented a list of complaints to highlight their plight. A primary contention was that despite completing their assigned voter list work by the stipulated deadline of December 11, they are now being saddled with additional responsibilities, leading to excessive overburdening.
They further argued that the immense pressure from the ongoing Summary Revision of the Photo Electoral Roll (SIR) work has severely impacted their primary professions. Many BLOs, who are often teachers, claimed they were unable to attend to their students due to the relentless electoral duties. Their key demand was to meet the state's chief electoral officer to resolve these issues.
This is not an isolated incident. During the main phase of the SIR work, BLOs had repeatedly organized similar protests in front of the CEO's office, indicating a prolonged period of discontent. The movement also brings to light serious concerns about the health and well-being of these ground-level election workers. Reports of BLOs succumbing to health issues, allegedly due to extreme work pressure, have previously created significant administrative and political tensions in the state.
