Govt officials fish for excuses to opt out

At the top of the list of ingenious excuses is “back problems”. An official in the CEO’s office said,“It appears as if almost everyone has developed a backache which is a strange excuse considering that the nature of the job does not involve any strenuous work.”

For the Parliamentary elections,Delhi CEO’s office employs approximately 88,000 officers from various state and central government departments.

“These officials are sourced from various departments,including the MCD,NDMC,autonomous bodies and departments of the Delhi as well as the central government. Most officials are already based in Delhi. To make it even more convenient for them,we assign them work in the same constituencies they live in,” an official at the CEO’s office said.

Officials are usually assigned to duties such as polling officers,sector officers,manning voter assistance booths,presiding officers,returning officers,observers and micro observers.

“In terms of the time involved,we conduct three half-day training programmes that they need to attend and then a whole day’s work on poll day. All officers are paid for the same,including any expenses incurred. It is thus strange that so many people want to be exempted from these duties. Perhaps the fact that most of these duties come with a great amount of accountability is a dampener,” the official added.

Various government departments send a list of officials to the CEO’s office. The officials are then notified of the tasks they are expected to perform. “The problem begins there. Individual officers ask people at influential positions to call either the CEO directly or the CEO’s office asking for exemption. Some feign illness,while another favorite is a wedding in the family. Sometimes departments also call in to say if so many officers are assigned for poll duty then they would have to shut their departments for the day,” the official added. However,considering that election day is a state holiday,the excuse fails to hold water.

Officials are notified to appear for election duty as assigned to them by the CEO’s office under Section 159 of the Representation of People’s Act,1951. Failure to comply can lead to disciplinary action. However,that proves hardly a deterrent for those who want out. “It’s very strange but even today some people called to say,“We saw your ad and just realised we would need to be exempted as well. Of course we refused,” the official said.