New Guidelines issued on Electoral Registration Officers (ERO’s) and Booth Level Officers (BLO’s)

On 10.07.2015, the Election Commission issued necessary directions for further improvements of election management, which are as follows:

• Process of verification of online application submitted shall be done only after the applicant uploads relevant documents in support of his/her identity and photo. In the absence of which, the EROs may reject the application, at preliminary stage itself. One day in a week shall be fixed by ERO for verification of the on-line applications.
• Acknowledgement receipt of the application will be sent electronically by SMS/e-mail to the applicant at each stage of disposal of his/her application.
• Form 6 (for inclusion of name in the electoral roll) filled by an applicant will be rejected if he/she does not fill up part IV of the form to give details of his/her earlier registration/residence.
• Each ERO/AERO shall be given one computer with internet connectivity, one printer, one telephone and one data entry operator, so that the electoral roll/EPIC related works do not suffer.
• EROs/AEROs can be sanctioned TA/DA as per rules applicable to the concerned state for their tours in the field in connection with exercise relating to preparation/revision of electoral roll.
• One BLO should be appointed for one polling station who should be, to the extent possible, a local resident. Where female registration is very low, female BLOs should be appointed to motivate the unregistered women to come forward and get them enrolled in electoral rolls.
• BLOs of the polling stations in cantonment areas, should be replaced by, as far as practicable, with the BLOs who are staff of the concerned cantonment authorities.
• BLOs shall sit at the Polling Station assigned to them at least once in two months so that the electors in the area may visit the concerned Polling Station for new enrolment/correction/deletion of the existing entry.
• BLO Supervisors should be appointed to supervise and monitor the work done by BLOs.
• The existing rate of remuneration/honorarium to BLOs is fixed at Rs. 6000/- per annum. For BLO Supervisor, an annual honorarium is Rs. 12000/. Besides, the Commission has also approved the proposal for a minimum amount of Rs. 1000/- per annum for a BLO for house visits made by him during the period of summary revision. Also, that BLOs should necessarily be sanctioned TA/DA, if they make travels outside their Polling Station areas for the purpose of training. 

-Election Commission of India