Kolkata: The West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE) has urged the state Election Commission to exempt its staff and officers from election-related duties, citing an acute manpower shortage and a mounting workload related to board examinations and teacher recruitment.
In a letter dated July 21 to the Chief Electoral Officer, WBBSE president Ramanuj Ganguly raised concerns over Board employees receiving direct requisitions to serve as Booth Level Officers (BLOs). He stated that such assignments would severely disrupt the Board’s core functions, especially with the Madhyamik Examinations 2026 scheduled to begin on February 2 and preparations already underway.
The Board, which serves as the appointing and disciplinary authority for teachers and non-teaching staff in over 16,000 schools, is also involved in the ongoing recruitment drive for 35,726 teaching posts. The Supreme Court has mandated the completion of these appointments by December 31.
Highlighting its wide range of responsibilities, the WBBSE emphasised that many of its tasks are “confidential, sensitive and time-bound”. It also pointed out that the last recruitment of Board staff took place in 2000, leaving it with a skeletal workforce struggling to meet growing demands.
In light of these constraints, the WBBSE has appealed to the Chief Electoral Officer to issue necessary directives to Electoral Registration Officers across constituencies, instructing them not to assign poll duties to Board staff.