Poll duty for 2,100 BMC teachers raises concern

Officials said the appointments followed directions from state election authorities, assigning duty to 400 teachers from Mumbai city and 1,700 from suburban districts

Mumbai: Around 2,100 teachers from Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) schools have been appointed as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for election-related work, drawing concern from teacher unions who say the move could disrupt ongoing examinations.

Poll duty for 2,100 BMC teachers raises concern

Officials said the appointments followed directions from state election authorities, assigning duty to 400 teachers from Mumbai city and 1,700 from suburban districts.

The BMC education department has instructed deputy education officers to ensure that teachers report for BLO work and complete assigned tasks within the stipulated timeline.

Teacher representatives, however, said the decision could affect annual examinations for Classes 1 to 9, which are currently underway in municipal schools.

“There isn’t sufficient staff in schools. If teachers go for training and BLO work, how will school work continue?” said Shivnath Darade, executive member of the Shikshak Parishad, who has written to the state chief electoral officer seeking relief.

One teacher said that they are busy preparing students for exams and conducting question papers and evaluations. “We request the Election Commission to give us time till the examinations are over,” the teacher said.

Rushikant Ghosalkar of the Municipal Samarth Kamgar Sanghatana has also written to election authorities requesting that teachers involved in examination duties be exempted from BLO assignments.

He pointed out that in the Malabar Hill Assembly constituency, some teachers engaged in exam work had already been granted relief from BLO duties.

Union representative Rushikant Ghosalkar also urged authorities to exempt teachers engaged in exam duties, noting that in the Malabar Hill Assembly constituency such teachers had already been given relief.