Action against officers forcing juniors into poll duty: SEC

The death of a polling officer in Thane during 2014 Lok Sabha elections has prompted the state election commission (SEC) to ease the burden of election duties on state and civic employees. The SEC stated that stringent action will be initiated against officers for pressurising their juniors to perform election duty apart from doing their regular work.

The SEC stated that stringent action will be initiated against officers for pressurising their juniors to perform election duty apart from doing their regular work.(Representation pic)

During the 2014 polls, Vaishali Bhale, a 39-year-old teacher of Kopar Khairane school, died after suffering cardiac arrest while on election duty at Khopat polling station in Thane (West).

Similarly, an RTO constable and a civic clerk from Ulhasnagar fell unconscious while on election duty. Both were deployed at a constituency (number 148) in Thane.

State election commissioner JS Saharia said, “We have taken different measures to ensure that employees on election duty aren’t stressed by work. Their working conditions will be improved, will get pick up and drop facility, will provide them with assistants to transport election stationery. We are also trying to reduce the working hours of these employees.”

A few of the employees alloted election duty during the bygone polls said they received remuneration after several months. Saharia said that this year the money would be given daily .

“The incidents during the 2014 elections were unfortunate. We later found out that they forced to put in extra hours by their superiors. We have issued orders that strict action will be taken against any officers forcing their juniors to extra hours for election duty,” he added.