BLO vs Teacher. In India, the person most trusted to ensure the smooth functioning of the electoral process is the Booth Level Officer (BLO). Interestingly, in most states, this role is directly assigned to government school teachers. While teachers are responsible for teaching children, managing schools, and academic activities, becoming a BLO also takes on the additional burden of the Election Commission.

The key question is whether the additional workload and the pay they receive do justice to teachers? We are discussing this here based on news reports.

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Who is a BLO and what are their main responsibilities?

The Booth Level Officer is an important field officer of the Election Commission, tasked with keeping the voter list accurate and up-to-date. BLOs are required to go door-to-door in their area to gather information.

  • Adds new voters’ names
  • Removes dead or duplicate names
  • Checks Forms 6, 7, and 8

Updates booth-related documents and data

This work continues throughout the year. In many states, BLOs are required to spend 10–15 days a month on field visits. This responsibility increases further during election season, including booth management and election duties.

How much does a BLO get paid?

The honorarium of a BLO is not uniform across the country. Payments vary by state. Typically, the annual honorarium is approximately ₹12,000.

Some states provide an additional incentive of ₹1,000–₹2,000.

Complaints of payment irregularities also surface in many places. Despite such a large and time-consuming task, the payment is considered very limited, even though the responsibility is significant.

Now, understand a teacher’s salary and their workload.

A government teacher isn’t just responsible for teaching children. They also have to handle school administrative activities, examinations, report cards, surveys, government programs, training, and a variety of non-academic duties.

Teachers’ salaries also vary depending on the position and state.

  • Primary Teacher: ₹25,000 – ₹45,000 per month
  • Upper Primary Teacher: ₹40,000 – ₹65,000 per month
  • PGT Teacher: ₹50,000 – ₹80,000 per month

With this salary, teachers are already busy with significant responsibilities. The additional burden of being a BLO impacts their regular work and the quality of education.

Is the burden of BLO duties on teachers justified?

Teacher organisations and education experts believe that assigning BLO duties to teachers has a direct impact on the education system.

  • Field visits lead to missed classes.
  • Paperwork and reporting take up a lot of time.
  • Children’s learning is affected.

Despite this, the honorarium paid as a BLO is extremely low. Experts believe that either separate full-time staff should be appointed for BLO work, or teachers should be provided with appropriate financial compensation and time.

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Conclusion

While teachers lay the foundation for the country’s future, they also play a vital role in the Election Commission as BLOs. But juggling both responsibilities simultaneously is not easy.