The Karnal district administration has suspended 12 booth-level officers (BLOs) for alleged negligence in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, even as Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Dr Anand Kumar Sharma urged eligible voters to submit their enumeration forms well before the July 14 deadline.
The suspension orders cite failure to discharge responsibilities with due seriousness and negligence in carrying out duties related to the voter list revision exercise. Of the suspended officials, nine were posted in the Karnal Assembly constituency and three in the Gharaunda Assembly constituency.
“SIR-related work is a highly sensitive and important responsibility. Any negligence or irregularity in the SIR process would not be tolerated at any level,” he said.
Sharma directed all BLOs and election officials to complete the exercise within the stipulated timeline with complete transparency, dedication and accountability. He warned that strict action would continue against any officer or employee found negligent in the future.
Interacting with media persons at the Mini Secretariat on Saturday, the DEO said the SIR exercise has entered its final phase and appealed to all eligible voters not to wait until the last date of July 14 to submit their enumeration forms to their respective BLOs. He said timely submission would ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll.
He advised voters facing difficulties in filling the forms to contact their concerned BLO or seek assistance through the Election Commission's helpline 1950. He also informed that enumeration forms can be submitted online through the ECINET mobile application, while the Book a Call facility allows voters to directly connect with their BLO for assistance, the DC added.
Sharma further appealed to Booth Level Agents (BLA-1 and BLA-2) of political parties to actively support the revision exercise in coordination with BLOs and the district administration. He stressed that preparing an accurate and error-free electoral roll is a shared responsibility and essential to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the democratic process.