Kolkata, March 25 – The Election Commission of India (ECI) issued a notification on Wednesday, increasing the daily allowances for electoral officers at all levels. This was the first time the remuneration for polling officers had been increased since 2016.
According to the ECI's order, the daily allowance for presiding officers and counting supervisors has been increased from ₹350 to ₹500. The same increase has been applied to polling officers, from ₹250 to ₹400.
The allowance for assistant counts has been increased from ₹350 to ₹450.
The daily allowance for "Ground-D" assistants involved in the polling process has been increased from ₹200 to ₹350.
The allowances for staff in charge of video surveillance, the accounting team, call centres, flying squads, and monitoring cells have also been increased. Previously, they received between ₹1,000 and ₹1,200 daily. Now, they will receive between ₹2,000 and ₹3,000 daily.
The daily allowance for micro-observers has been increased from ₹1,000 to ₹2,000.
Four states – Tamil Nadu, Kerala, West Bengal, and Assam – and the Union Territory of Puducherry – will go to the polls next month, with results to be announced on May 4.
West Bengal will have a two-phase election on April 23 and April 29. In the first phase, polling will be held for 152 of the 294 assembly constituencies, and in the second phase, for the remaining 142 constituencies.
West Bengal is the only state where the special intensive revision (SIR) process has not been completed under the model code of conduct, which is already in place.
Currently, the judicial adjudication of voters identified under the logical discrepancy category is ongoing.
The first supplementary list has already been published. Those whose names are found to be excluded in the judicial adjudication process will have the opportunity to appeal to any of the 19 Appellate Tribunals constituted for the purpose.
