Prayagraj : The Allahabad High Court has observed that govt teachers can be assigned election-related duties as booth level officers (BLOs), including work related to preparation, revision and correction of electoral rolls.
Justice Vinod Diwakar referred to Section 27 of the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE Act), which expressly permits the deployment of teachers for election-related duties, and observed that BLO duties fall within this exception. the court noted that the preparation and revision of electoral rolls is a statutory function under the Representation of the People Act, 1950 While finding no merit in the petition. It further observed that Article 324 of the Constitution vests the superintendence, direction and control of elections in Election Commission of India (ECI). The court also referred to Section 13CC of the 1950 Act, under which officers and staff of the state govt and local authorities employed in the preparation, revision and correction of electoral rolls are deemed to be on deputation to Election Commission for that period. The court noted that Section 27 of the RTE Act permits the deployment of teachers for election-related duties and that BLO duties fall within this exception.
Therefore, finding no ground to entertain the petition, the high court in its judgment, dated Nov 2, dismissed the writ petition. the court dismissed a writ petition filed by Azra Parveen and four others, working as five assistant teachers at junior/senior schools in Saharanpur While making this observation. They had challenged their deployment as BLOs.