ECI Doubles Annual Pay for Booth Level Officers to ₹12,000

Speedy summary

• The Election Commission of India (ECI) announced an increase in the annual remuneration of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from ₹6,000 to ₹12,000 and also granted them a special incentive of ₹6,000 for Special intensive Revision (SIR) starting from Bihar.
• BLO supervisors’ annual remuneration has been raised from ₹12,000 to ₹18,000.
• Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs (AEROs) will now recieve honorariums of ₹30,000 and ₹25,000 per annum respectively.
• An updated norm restricts each booth to accommodate no more than 1,200 voters.
• ECI acknowledged the importance of grassroots-level electoral roll personnel in ensuring transparent electoral rolls.

Read more: The Hindu

Indian Opinion Analysis

The move by the Election Commission of India reflects an effort to strengthen its grassroots machinery at a critical juncture when clarity in electoral rolls is paramount. by doubling BLO remuneration and introducing incentives specific to Special Intensive Revisions in states like Bihar-often critical ahead of elections-the initiative seeks to improve efficiency and worker morale. Raising payments for supervisors and registration officers further underscores ECI’s intention toward thorough accountability within its framework.

With stricter norms limiting booths to 1,200 voters maximum-a practical step-it may enhance administrative precision during nationwide polls. These measures align with the goal stated by ECI: “pure electoral rolls are the bedrock of democracy,” emphasizing integrity across all levels. However tangible success hinges on effective implementation within diverse state conditions.