Jaipur: Concerned about suicide of BLOs, RSS-affiliated teachers’ organization ABSRM writes to ECI
Jaipur: The Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh (ABRSM), an RSS-affiliated organization of teachers, has written to the Election Commission of India (ECI) demanding an extension of the deadline to complete the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and a compensation of Rs 1 crore for the families of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) who have died during the process.
The SIR is currently going on in nine states as well as three Union Territories (UTs) and the ABRSM has expressed concern regarding the pressure on BLOs, which has allegedly led some officers to commit suicide.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the organization, in its strongly-worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, has called the workload on the BLOs ‘unethical’ and the targets ‘unrealistic’. It has said that the teachers who are working as BLOs are facing severe pressure as well as intimidation, calling the situation contrary to the dignity of elections and disrespectful towards teaching community.
While the ABSRM admits in its letter that the SIR is crucial for India’s democratic process, it adds that teachers have been faithfully fulfilling the duty they are assigned in relation to elections. It clarifies that BLOs have been struggling to fulfill their duty as the SIR has put on them an excessive workload of 16-18 hours of daily field and portal work to be completed without technical facilities. This has led to an increase in depression and stress among the BLOs and their suicide, the organization explained to the ECI.
It has told the CEC in the letter, “Abusive behavior by officials has led to severe mental stress among BLO teachers in several states. Sadly, some cases have even resulted in tragic suicides, which not only disturb the teaching community but also represent a clear violation of human rights.
The ABSRM has complained about the BLOs being intimidated through the pressure of having to meet unrealistic targets within a very short time. Several of the officers fear loss of salary, receiving show-cause notices, chargesheets, suspensions, threats of FIRs, and abusive behavior, it has told the CEC.
Referring to the problems the BLOs face on the field, the letter states that some voters do not have documents that are decades old and therefore do not cooperate with the BLOs. It has pointed out on the failure of the ECI in educating the voters about the SIR, as a result of which, many people find the survey unnecessary.
Pointing out that BLO deaths have been reported from the states undergoing SIR, the ABSRM states that, as per the Press Information Bureau (PIB), over 5.3 lakh BLOs, 7.64 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs), 10,448 EROs/AEROs and 321 DEOs have been pressed into action spanning 321 districts and 1,843 Assembly Constituencies (ACs).
The organization has demanded that the ECI extend the deadline for completion of the survey, in order to make the SIR stress-free, accurate and also improve the quality.
It has also demanded Rs 1 crore as compensation and a government job for the kin of BLOs who have died prematurely or by suicide due to pressure from the SIR. ABRSM demands a high-level probe of all such cases should be and prosecution of the guilty officials.
Further, it has asked the CEC to provide technical assistants, computer operators, or associates, as well as tablets/laptops, travel allowances, etc. should also be provided to BLOs, while “officials should be given clear instructions to refrain from any kind of threats, harassment, abusive language or punitive action.”
ABRSM says that BLOs should be provided “respectable additional honorarium as per the workload and challenges” and that “additional BLOs should be deployed in inaccessible hilly, desert and remote areas.”
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Rupee rises 23 paise to 94.95 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): The rupee appreciated by 23 paise to 94.95 against the US dollar in early trade on Wednesday as Brent crude prices retreated from their elevated level after US President Donald Trump hinted at a possible deal with Iran.
Forex traders said oil prices fell to USD 108 per barrel, as signs of easing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East offset the lingering supply concerns.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 95, then gained some ground and touched an early high of 94.95, registering a gain of 23 paise from its previous low.
The rupee was later trading at 95.10 against the greenback.
On Tuesday, the rupee settled at 95.18 against the US dollar, after witnessing an all-time intraday low of 95.44 on Tuesday on possible RBI intervention after investors retreated from riskier assets amid renewed clashes in the Gulf and targeting of UAE infrastructure, which reignited supply chain fears.
The rupee, which fell to its all-time low of 95.44 on Tuesday, gained this morning as Gift Nifty indicated a positive opening of 200 points, said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
The dollar Index fell to 98.30, and Asian currencies rose against the dollar this morning in Asian trade, after Trump hinted at a possible deal with Iran, Bhansali added.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading at 98.28, down 0.16 per cent.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading lower by 1.32 per cent at USD 108.42 per barrel in futures trade, after Trump paused Operation Freedom.
President Donald Trump has suspended “Project Freedom,” to escort ships through the Strait of Hormuz, claiming progress in negotiations with Iran toward an agreement to end the war.
In a post on Truth Social on Tuesday, Trump said, “Great progress has been made toward a complete and final agreement with representatives of Iran.”
Project Freedom was launched on Monday to escort ships, stranded due to the closure of the Strait of Hormuz, out to safety. Trump had announced the operation on Sunday, and the US Central Command began implementing it the next day.
However, the Project led to friction in the vicinity of the narrow seaway, a key route for transporting one-fifth of the global oil supplies, with the UAE claiming that its ships were attacked by Iran. The US also claimed to have destroyed several Iranian small boats.
On the domestic equity market front, Sensex jumped 657.22 points to 77,675.01 in early trade, while the Nifty rallied 218 points to 24,250.85.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 3,621.58 crore on Tuesday, according to exchange data.
