In a significant ruling, the Calcutta High Court has upheld the Election Commission’s directive requiring primary school teachers in West Bengal to serve as Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The court stated that the duty falls within the scope of public service and must be carried out “in the interest of the country.”
Justice Amrita Sinha, who delivered the judgement on Monday, dismissed a petition filed by a group of primary teachers seeking exemption from BLO duties. The teachers had argued that they were already burdened with full-time teaching responsibilities and other school-related tasks and could not take on additional polling-related duties.
While delivering the verdict, Justice Sinha emphasised that BLO duties do not interfere with the teachers’ primary responsibilities and that the Election Commission has not yet specified the exact nature or duration of the work.
"Why are the petitioners assuming that they will be made to work full-time as BLOs? The Commission will outline their roles in due course. Until then, there is no reason to object," the judge observed during the course of hearing, She clarified that primary teachers will be required to carry out BLO duties only after completing their school work, and such responsibilities fall under the terms of service of all government employees, including teachers.
The judge also referred to a similar ruling by the Supreme Court, which upheld the Kerala High Court’s decision stating that BLO work cannot disrupt regular workplace duties and must be done in extra hours.
The petitioners had argued that after teaching six days a week, Sunday is their only day off and performing BLO duties on that single day is unreasonable. They said that BLO responsibilities require significant time and attention.
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However, the court refused to accept the logic of petitioners’ argument, ruling that teaching and polling work are both public duties and that additional tasks like BLO work during the voter list revision process are necessary for democratic processes.
The verdict comes at a time when the Election Commission of India is preparing for a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls across the country, including West Bengal. The SIR process was recently completed in Bihar and is now being rolled out nationwide.
According to Election Commission sources, instructions have already been issued to Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) in all states and union territories to appoint BLOs, BLO Supervisors, and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and to begin training them immediately. The Calcutta High Court’s order aligns with this nationwide initiative.
In conclusion, the High Court said that primary teachers are not exempt from election-related responsibilities. The ruling sets a precedent that government employees must support electoral work without disrupting their primary duties, ensuring both the functioning of the education system and the smooth conduct of democratic processes.
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