The Election Commission's latest directive, introducing a 'quality check' feature for voter photographs, has sparked significant confusion among Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Kolkata. The lack of clear guidelines on what constitutes a 'quality check' has left officials interpreting the new rule in their own ways, adding to their pre-election workload.
New App Features Cause Confusion
On Friday, the Election Commission added two new options to the official BLO application. The first, 'Discrepancy in mapping', was introduced to help BLOs rectify errors related to progeny links, gender, or age mismatches ahead of the hearing for approximately 94 lakh voters with logical discrepancies across West Bengal.
However, the second option, 'Quality check of elector photo', became the source of the problem. The EC did not provide any clarification to the BLOs on specific cases where they would need to upload fresh photographs of voters. This ambiguity forced officers to rely on their own understanding of the directive.
BLOs Voice Concerns Over Hasty Implementation
An anonymous BLO highlighted a practical issue, stating that many photos uploaded during the initial enumeration period appeared hazy in the EC's system. "I received the EC's directive and found the new feature added to the app. I cannot make out what the quality check of photo means. Even my ERO couldn't explain it to me," the officer said.
The BLO, who enumerated 600 electors, expressed concern over the time-consuming process of re-uploading photos. The officer also questioned the frequent changes, noting this was the 14th addition to the app, implemented without any formal training. "Will they keep introducing new features until the final SIR rolls are released?" the BLO asked.
Ground-Level Challenges for Officers
The confusion stems partly from the initial stages of the Special Summary Revision (SIR) exercise, when photographs were not mandatory. When the EC later made them compulsory, the process was already underway, leading some electors to refuse at that time. A BLO from central Kolkata confirmed having to revisit a small number of voters to collect and upload their photographs now.
Sumedha Bhattacharya, a BLO in Shyampukur, plans a practical approach. "As far as I can remember, all the electors in my area submitted photographs, but while uploading them on the BLO app, some appeared hazy, so I need to upload fresh ones," she stated. She will check her forms and contact electors for clearer or more recent pictures if needed.
A Welcome Change for Some Voters
For some citizens, the new feature is a relief. Arup Nag, a BLO in Kasba, reported that several electors approached him to attach recent photographs because the images on their voter ID cards were old and unclear. He guided them to fill out Form 8 to officially make this correction, indicating the feature addresses a genuine public need for updated records.
The incident underscores the challenges of implementing last-minute technological tweaks in large-scale democratic exercises without comprehensive training or clear communication, potentially straining the officials responsible for the integrity of the electoral roll.
