EC kicks off first-ever training of BLOs to strengthen electoral roll update

JAMMU, MAR 26: The Election Commission of India (EC) has commenced its first-ever training program for over 1 lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) at the India International Institute of Democracy and Election Management (IIIDEM) in New Delhi. The inaugural batch of BLOs, representing Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, is participating in a two-day residential training session focused on enhancing their election management skills.
This comprehensive training will take place in multiple phases, initially prioritizing the poll-bound states. The training program will familiarize BLOs with their roles and responsibilities under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and various Commission directives. Additionally, BLOs will be trained in filling relevant forms for the error-free updation of electoral rolls and will receive hands-on training in IT applications designed to support their tasks.
The first batch comprises 109 BLOs from Bihar, West Bengal, and Assam, along with 24 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and 13 District Election Officers (DEOs) from Bihar, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala, Puducherry, and Tamil Nadu. Over the coming years, an estimated 1 lakh BLOs will be trained, with each BLO overseeing an average of 10 polling stations.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Shri Gyanesh Kumar, along with Election Commissioner Dr. Vivek Joshi, inaugurated the training session today. The CEC emphasized the vital role of BLOs in updating electoral rolls and their importance as the primary point of contact between the Commission and India’s 100 crore electors. The trained BLOs will be empowered to act as Assembly Level Master Trainers (ALMTs) and strengthen the nationwide BLO network.
CEC Kumar stressed the importance of appointing suitably senior state government officers as EROs, ideally at the SDM level, who would then appoint BLOs based on their seniority and residence in the polling stations under their jurisdiction. He also reiterated that only Indian citizens who are 18 years of age or older and ordinarily reside in the constituency can be registered as electors, as stipulated by Article 326 of the Constitution and Section 20 of the RP Act, 1950.
He further urged the CEOs, DEOs, and EROs to hold all-party meetings at their respective levels to resolve electoral issues and ensure correct updation of the electoral rolls. The CEC also stressed that any complaints regarding the actions of EROs or BLOs would be taken seriously and addressed promptly. He called on all BLOs to maintain courteous and professional conduct during house-to-house verification for the updation of electoral rolls, reaffirming the Commission’s unwavering commitment to safeguarding the rights of the 100 crore electors.