The CPI has urged Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu to exempt village and ward secretariat employees from duties as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and to take immediate steps to reduce the mounting work pressure on them arising from multiple surveys and election-related tasks.
In a letter addressed to the Chief Minister on Monday, CPI State Secretary Gujjula Eswaraiah pointed out that as per Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines, only about 14 categories of employees are eligible to be appointed as BLOs. However, in Andhra Pradesh, village and ward secretariat staff alone are being assigned these responsibilities, leading to excessive workload and serious health issues.
He noted that secretariat employees in the State are also burdened with Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, resulting in prolonged stress. Mr. Eswaraiah said that within the past two months, four secretariat employees had died, including a 41-year-old ward secretariat staffer from Indira Nagar in Emmiganur town of Kurnool district.
The CPI leader expressed concern over the disciplinary actions such as memos, show-cause notices, and suspensions being issued to secretariat staff performing BLO duties. He claimed that in Kurnool district alone, more than 600 secretariat employees had received show-cause notices. Mr. Eswaraiah also reminded Mr. Naidu that when he was in the Opposition, he had demanded that secretariat staff be relieved from BLO responsibilities.
Published – December 15, 2025 11:16 pm IST
