The Election Commission (EC) has announced a significant increase in remuneration and incentives for officials involved in electoral roll revision, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), supervisors, and registration officers. The decision, revealed on Saturday, aims to boost the accuracy and transparency of electoral rolls, recognizing the pivotal role these officers play in the democratic process.

The annual remuneration for BLOs has been doubled from Rs 6,000 to Rs 12,000. In addition to this, the incentive for BLOs for the revision of electoral rolls has been increased from Rs 1,000 to Rs 2,000. Further sweetening the deal, the EC has approved a special incentive of Rs 6,000 for BLOs engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists, starting with the exercise currently underway in Bihar.

BLO supervisors will also see a significant rise in their annual remuneration, from Rs 12,000 to Rs 18,000. In a first-of-its-kind move, the EC will also provide honorariums to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs (AEROs), who previously did not receive any compensation. EROs will now receive Rs 30,000 annually, while AEROs will be granted Rs 25,000.

The Election Commission has emphasized that "pure electoral rolls are the bedrock of democracy" and commended the hard work of the electoral roll machinery, which includes EROs, AEROs, BLO supervisors, and BLOs, in preparing impartial and transparent electoral rolls. The decision to increase remuneration and incentives reflects the EC's commitment to adequately compensating election personnel who work tirelessly at the field level to maintain accurate poll rolls, assist voters, and strengthen the electoral process.

The revised rates were last updated in 2015. According to the new EC norms, each booth will not have more than 1,200 voters. BLOs are typically teachers or other state government employees responsible for adding or removing voters in their designated booth.

This move by the EC comes after repeated accusations and threats from opposition parties. The Commission has asked its field personnel to ignore these allegations and continue their work impartially. The increased compensation is seen as a reward for the officers involved in electoral roll revision and a reflection of the EC's commitment to a fair and transparent electoral process.