Belagavi: BLO suspended for lapses in voter verification

Belagavi: A booth-level officer (BLO) attached to the Belagavi South assembly constituency has been suspended for alleged negligence and violation of official instructions during voter list verification.Deputy commissioner Mohammad Roshan issued the suspension order against Shahina Tehsildar, a teacher at the govt Kannada senior primary school in Machhe.According to officials, voter mapping and verification under the revised 2025 electoral roll is currently under way, with a target of 100% verification. However, the BLO's performance was found to be unsatisfactory, with only 42.4% of the assigned work completed in her jurisdiction.The district administration has put in place a detailed monitoring mechanism for the exercise, including regular review meetings, video conferences, WhatsApp-based instructions, daily progress tracking and special guidance for officers recording poor progress. Weekly review meetings are also being held through Google Meet to expedite the process.Despite repeated instructions, the officer allegedly failed to conduct physical door-to-door verification and did not respond to show-cause notices issued by senior officials. The suspension order also noted that she remained absent from review meetings, avoided official communication and did not respond to calls from authorities.Officials said such conduct hampers the electoral roll revision process. Disciplinary proceedings have been initiated under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and the officer has been placed under suspension pending further inquiry.The action has sent a strong message to officials and staff engaged in voter mapping and verification across the district.Meanwhile, Belagavi South MLA Abhay Patil had earlier flagged irregularities and slow progress in voter mapping during a meeting at the Belagavi City Corporation, warning of a formal complaint. Officials said the suspension lends weight to those allegations.