BDO in Bihar suspended after alleging harassment, posting resignation online

Hari Om Sharan, also serving as assistant electoral registration officer, was found guilty of spreading misleading propaganda about ongoing SIR work: DM office

Katihar: The block development officer (BDO) of Barsoi in Bihar’s Katihar district was suspended after he alleged harassment by his immediate senior during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and shared his resignation letter on social media.

Hari Om Sharan was also serving as assistant electoral registration officer (AERO) in Bihar. (Representative photo)

“BDO Hari Om Sharan has been suspended after his reply to the show cause notice served to him was found unsatisfactory. The BDO will face departmental action for his conduct for posting his grudge on social media,” a statement issued by the office of district magistrate (DM) Manesh Kumar Meena on Tuesday said.

Hari Om Sharan was also serving as assistant electoral registration officer (AERO) in Bihar.

In the resignation letter posted on social media, Sharan addressed it to the DM and accused sub-divisional officer (SDO) Dixit Shwetam of harassing and publicly humiliating him.

The DM, however, said Sharan had never submitted a resignation letter and that the BDO had resumed duty after tendering an apology. “The action has been taken for his conduct unbecoming of any public servant,” the statement said.

Sharan said he is allegedly suffering and in physical pain, but did not let it hinder his responsibilities.

Sharan was found guilty of spreading misleading propaganda about the ongoing SIR work, an official said.

Meanwhile, the election commission (EC) on Tuesday said that nearly 100,000 booth-level officers (BLOs) will soon hold the third and final round of door-to-door visits to collect enumeration forms as part of the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar.

The EC said that 86.32% of enumeration forms — covering 68.1 million of Bihar’s 78.9 million electors — have already been collected. After accounting for deceased individuals, permanent relocations, and duplicate entries, 90.84% of the eligible electorate is effectively covered. This leaves roughly 9.16% of voters, approximately 7.2 million people, still needing to submit their forms.