EC relief for teachers on poll duty, may get leave today

MUMBAI: City teachers who work till late on polling day as part of election duties may get excused from work on Thursday.

Though the election commission has not issued any formal circular, election officials have informed schools they should not force teachers who worked past midnight on October 15 to attend school the next day. sion’s rules, dated November 15, 1994, were circulated to schools on Wednesday and Thursday.

The rules state that presiding officers or polling officers, who had to work past midnight on polling day, can be excused from their regular duties the next day. “Such officers will not be treated as absent if they do not report for duty a day after polls,” read the circular of the rules.

The election officials took this step after Ramnath Mote, council (MLC) from the teachers’ constituency, met election officials from the Thane district on Wednesday.

“Teachers are exhausted after pulling in late-night duties and often, they have to report to work early the next day,” said Mote. “Many schools were unaware of the commission’s rules, which allow them to excuse teachers on polling duty from work.”

The state school principals’ association had also written to state government in September, asking them to declare an official holiday for teachers a day after the polls. Though this has not been done, several schools have now decided to excuse teachers on election duty from working on Thursday.

“Circulating the copy of the rules among schools has created awareness,” said Uday Nare, a senior teacher, Hansraj Morarji Public School, Andheri. “It is a huge relief for those working late