![\"Teachers](\"https:\/\/static.toiimg.com\/thumb\/msid-133131773,imgsize-348994,width-400,height-225,resizemode-75\/screenshot-2026-08-10-230027png.jpg\" "\\"digitisation\\"")
<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/section>\n<\/div><\/div>\n<\/div>\nPune: <\/span>Teachers working as assistant booth-level officers (BLOs) have urged state govt to introduce a separate honorarium, compensatory leave and reimbursement of cellphone data and field expenses involved in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying poll-related responsibilities were increasingly being carried out in addition to their regular teaching duties.The teachers said after completing school hours, they were required to visit voters\u2019 homes, verify documents and assist in updating electoral records, often without any additional compensation. \u201cWhen the work extends beyond school hours and involves repeated visits to voters\u2019 homes, there should be a clear provision for compensation. Assistant BLOs should not be expected to bear these expenses themselves,\u201d Nitin Memane, vice-president of the Pune district primary teachers\u2019 union, said.The teachers said the absence of a dedicated payment mechanism had become more glaring during the SIR exercise. Assistant BLOs support BLOs in voter registration, corrections to electoral rolls, document verification, tracking shifted voters and conducting household-level surveys. \u201cThis additional time is not accounted for anywhere,\u201d Ashok Khamkar, a zilla parishad (ZP) teacher from Junnar serving as an assistant BLO, said.Apart from the extra hours, the teachers said they were also bearing out-of-pocket expenses, particularly for cellphone data used for poll-related communication and digital documentation. \u201cA large part of the communication and data-related work is done through our cellphones. We use our own data for poll work, but there is no separate reimbursement. Even a modest provision for such expenses would make a difference,\u201d Revati Khare, a teacher from Pune, said.The teachers have sought a govt resolution specifying compensation for assistant BLOs\u2019 field duties, along with a mechanism to reimburse expenses incurred during election work. They have also demanded compensatory leave for duties performed beyond regular working hours, on holidays and during school vacations.\u201cDuring holidays, teachers should either be given leave against the additional days they work or be compensated. There was a system of providing leave for staffers who performed additional duties during the Census. A similar approach should be considered for poll-related work,\u201d Vivek Lonkar, another ZP teacher, said.According to Memane, the issue was not opposition to election duties but recognition of the additional burden the teachers entailed. \u201cTeachers have always contributed to democratic processes. The issue is recognition of the additional time, field work and expenses involved. There should be a clear govt order covering honorarium, leave and field expenses,\u201d he said.The teachers\u2019 union has also called for an increase in the honorarium paid to BLOs. \u201cWe are ready to do the work assigned to us, but govt should also recognise what happens beyond the classroom. If the duty requires field visits, work on holidays and personal expenditure on cellphone data, there should be a corresponding provision for it,\u201d Manda Rahane, a ZP teacher from Ahilyanagar, said.<\/div>\n