EC asks West Bengal govt to comply with its directives by February 17
Times of India
by BHARTI JAINFebruary 14, 2026
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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) has given West Bengal until February 17, 2026, to comply with several directives regarding poll-related issues. These include ensuring timely payment of honorariums to Booth Level Officers (BLOs), addressing the appointment of suitable officials, revoking unilateral transfer orders for electoral roll observers, and registering FIRs against errant officers who failed in their statutory duties. The EC summoned West Bengal chief secretary Nandini Chakravarty to discuss pending issues, including multiple reminders sent by the Commission.
One key issue flagged by the EC is the failure of the West Bengal government to fully comply with honorarium payments for BLOs and their supervisors. While the state has paid Rs 7,000 to BLOs instead of the mandated Rs 13,000, supervisors have received nothing despite an EC guideline setting their honorarium at Rs 20,000. The EC has now directed immediate release of the pending amounts to ensure compliance with its guidelines.
The Commission also emphasized its directive for registering FIRs against two electoral registration officers, two assistant EROs, and one data entry operator over allegations of negligence in performing their duties and violations of data security policies. Additionally, the EC pressed for the suspension of Basirhat assistant electoral registration officer Sumitra Pratim Pradhan, who had unauthorizedly deployed 11 additional AEROs to conduct hearings without proper authorization.
The EC further directed the chief secretary to cancel transfer orders issued
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Originally published on Times of India on 2/14/2026