Shillong: Booth Level Officers in West Shillong are under fire for bungling the electoral roll revision. Officials bypassed house-to-house requirements, handing out forms on public roads and at the private home of late MLA Dhruba Nath Joshi. This triggered a heated response from the Khasi Students Union and local leaders in Nongsohphoh.
Critics say the process lacked oversight and ignored safety checks. The group demanded an immediate stop to the irregular practice. "They demanded that all forms distributed irregularly be retrieved and that future distribution be carried out strictly through house-to-house visits with proper guidance to eligible electors."
East Khasi Hills District Election Officer Abhilash Baranwal stepped in after the complaints surfaced. He ordered an inquiry and sent an Assistant Electoral Registration Officer to the site. The district office confirmed that the specific worker involved must now collect every form handed out between June 30 and July 2.
Supervision will tighten moving forward. The Assistant Electoral Registration Officer must now shadow the Booth Level Officer during all future distribution rounds. They will monitor the process until the roll revision wraps up to ensure nobody breaks the rules again.
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