Ghaziabad: Departmental action has been initiated against 26 booth-level officers (BLOs) in Ghaziabad for remaining absent without permission during voter camps on Sunday. The camps were meant to read out draft electoral rolls and assist eligible or left-out voters with Form 6 applications. Meanwhile, BLOs in Ghaziabad and Gautam Budh Nagar have begun door-to-door visits to serve notices to unmapped voters ahead of hearings starting Jan 21.The inspections were conducted on Jan 18, when a special campaign was conducted for receiving claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls. All BLOs were mandated to be present at their polling stations to read out the draft voter list and assist eligible and left-out voters in submitting Form 6 along with declarations and supporting documents.District magistrate Ravindra Mander, who is also the district election officer, had directed all electoral registration officers and assistant electoral registration officers to inspect polling stations across the district. During these inspections, 26 BLOs were found absent without prior approval.“Departmental proceedings were initiated against them, including withholding of salaries until further notice, and their work will be reviewed by supervisory officers from their respective departments,” the DM said.Meanwhile, BLOs in the two districts have started a door-to-door exercise of delivering notices to unmapped voters during SIR. Such voters will be required to present specified documents during hearings with additional electoral registration officers (AERO). Hearings will begin from Jan 21 at 21 locations in Ghaziabad and 35 locations in GB Nagar to ensure all such cases are heard before the Feb 27 deadline.Ghaziabad ADM (Revenue) and deputy district election officer Saurabh Bhatt said, “BLOs started delivering notices door to door to electors whose status is unmapped. After delivering the notice and receiving a copy of the document required from the voter, the BLOs also have to upload the details on the BLO app.”According to officials, notices are being served at the residence of the elector or a family member by the concerned BLO. The acknowledgement of receipt, along with a photograph of the recipient, is being uploaded on the BLO application. If the elector submits any one of the 13 documents prescribed by the Election Commission at the time of receiving the notice, the document is also uploaded by the BLO.During the Jan 18 camp, inspections were also carried out by UP chief electoral officer Navdeep Rinwa and district officials at multiple polling stations in Sahibabad and Ghaziabad assembly constituencies.
