‘Officer later, human being first… don't deserve to be insulted': BDO in Bihar resigns over ‘humiliation' by SDO during electoral roll revision

Indian Express

2 days ago

A Block Development Officer (BDO) in Bihar's Katihar district resigned Saturday, alleging sustained mental harassment by the Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in the state.
In a resignation letter addressed to the Katihar District Magistrate on July 12, Hariom Sharan, the BDO of Barsoi block, outlined a series of alleged instances that he said had undermined his dignity, despite his efforts to meet administrative targets. 'Sir, I am an officer later, and first, I am a human being,' Sharan wrote. 'I do not deserve to be insulted without reason or fault.'
Sharan, who serves as the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) for the block, said he had been actively engaged in overseeing the digitisation of voter forms and the implementation of micro-plans under the SIR programme. According to him, 13 employees were deployed per 10 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) to facilitate uploads, and he visited '10 to 12 panchayats daily' to monitor camps, despite being 'diagnosed with a slipped disc'. 'I suffer from severe lower back pain, but I have not allowed it to hinder my responsibilities,' he stated.
Still, Sharan claimed, the SDO frequently berated him, dismissing his field visits and accusing him of shirking duty. 'You stay at home and sleep,' the SDO allegedly said. 'You don't monitor anything… I'll take action to have your salary stopped.'
The BDO cited an incident on July 8, when the SDO reportedly issued verbal instructions to continue digitisation work at night. Though Sharan raised concerns about the health and safety of staff, 65 employees were assigned night duty. 'A sanitation supervisor collapsed during the shift and began suffering seizures,' he claimed, adding that the man was taken for medical treatment. 'I asked – if something untoward happens to any employee, who will take responsibility?'
Sharan said he proposed setting daily upload targets that staff could complete from home to avoid fatigue-related errors, but claimed the SDO rejected the suggestion. 'You act too kind,' the SDO allegedly responded. 'You'll realise when your job is gone.'
On July 11, during a video conference on SIR progress attended by around 250 block-level staff and supervisors, Sharan said the SDO publicly declared, 'The block officer is not capable of any work,' and threatened to reassign his duties to the Circle Officer. 'He told the staff, 'Whatever work you have, tell me directly. The block officer is of no use',' Sharan claimed, noting that he was present in the meeting but was not asked to speak.
He further claimed that despite the known technical challenges, including slow server performance and district-wide internet outages acknowledged by the Election Commission, the SDO pinned all responsibility for delays on him. 'He said, 'You are not interested in electoral work,' even though this year, I was awarded Best AERO by the Election Commission,' Sharan wrote. 'Ironically, based on Barsoi's performance, the same SDO received the Best ERO award on the same day.'
Throughout the letter, Sharan emphasised his administrative track record, including being honoured by former District Magistrates for best performance and volunteering his personal time to provide free civil services coaching to local youth, many of whom, he said, are now serving in the Bihar Administrative Service and other state roles.
'In an administrative system, reprimands and warnings are not unusual. But when one is repeatedly and unjustly humiliated before junior staff and peers without valid cause, it becomes deeply distressing,' Sharan wrote in his letter to the Katihar DM.
The BDO added, 'In such conditions, I find myself struggling between my duties and my self-respect. Therefore, I resign from my post.'