70 employees to face music under ECI Rules for poll duty absenteeism
Ferozepur, May 27, 2026: The Ferozepur district administration has initiated strict action against employees who remained absent from election duty during the recently conducted Municipal Council elections in the district.
According to official information, around 70 employees deputed for poll duty failed to report at Manohar Lal School, where polling parties were scheduled to collect election material before being dispatched to their respective polling stations. Their absence reportedly caused major inconvenience and affected the smooth conduct of the polling process.
Taking serious note of the absenteeism, the SDM-cum-Returning Officer, Ferozepur, Abhishek Sharma, has written to the SSP seeking registration of FIRs against the absent employees under relevant provisions of law and Election Commission of India (ECI) guidelines.
The administration has prepared a list of employees who failed to attend duty despite official deployment orders issued by the Additional Deputy Commissioner (ADC). Officials stated that the absence of such a large number of staff disrupted arrangements and delayed the dispatch of polling parties.
Confirming the development, the SDM-cum-Returning Officer said that strict action has been recommended against employees who remained absent without valid reasons. However, he added that around 10 to 12 employees had later contacted the administration citing genuine personal issues. Their cases were examined separately and a recommendation may be made to exempt them from legal action.
The district administration has termed election duty a serious constitutional responsibility and indicated that negligence in such assignments will not be tolerated.