Bhubaneswar: An assistant teacher of Government High School in Bhubaneswar’s Chadrasekharpur was suspended on Thursday for alleged negligence in performing election-related responsibilities.
According to a release issued by Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Rashmi Sahoo, who was appointed as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters list, has been accused of dereliction of duty during this process. “Sahoo failed to attend and properly discharge her assigned duties relating to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) work without any valid reason or prior authorisation, thereby exhibiting gross negligence, dereliction of duty, and disobedience of lawful orders,” the release said.
The suspension was ordered by the District Election Officer Chanchal Rana, under Section 32(1) of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. “During the period of suspension, she shall not leave her headquarters without prior permission of the competent authority and shall be entitled to subsistence allowance as admissible under the rules,” it added.
The SIR is a key exercise conducted by the Election Commission to intensively verify and update electoral rolls, ensuring accurate voter registration ahead of elections. BLOs play a critical role in field-level verification, house-to-house surveys, and addressing claims and objections.
Negligence by BLOs can lead to inaccuracies in voter lists, potentially affecting electoral integrity.
