Muzaffarpur: A major irregularity has emerged in Muzaffarpur, Bihar, during the ongoing voter verification process under the Special Summary Revision. Authorities have halted the salaries of over 60 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) after discovering that forms were being marked as submitted online without being filled by voters.
The order was issued by the Block Development Officer (BDO) of Aurai, who also serves as the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO). All concerned BLOs have been asked to submit written explanations. Disciplinary action has been threatened if their responses are found unsatisfactory.
Some residents have alleged that their voter revision forms were marked as submitted despite them never filling them—either online or offline. These voters later received phone calls requesting verification for submissions they never made, prompting confusion and concern over the integrity of the process.
The verification work in the Aurai Assembly constituency has been notably sluggish. During a recent review, the District Election Officer-cum-District Magistrate expressed dissatisfaction with the pace and instructed officials to identify and act against non-performing BLOs. Following this, the BDO issued final warnings and instructed officers to accelerate the form distribution and upload process.
The AERO has also warned that if negligence continues, criminal action including FIRs may be initiated.
The situation has left several voters unsure about whether they can now submit their forms afresh, and many are uncertain about where to register complaints.
The Election Commission allows voters to submit their forms online from any location, after which BLOs are responsible for verifying the entries.
