4 headmasters refuse poll duty in Nagpur, named in FIR, ETEducation
Nagpur/Amravati: Refusing polling duty backfired on four headmasters in Nagpur with the administration registering police complaints against them on Thursday, while 514 errant officers and employees in Amravati Municipal Corporation were issued show-cause notices for remaining absent from mandatory training sessions and election duties.
Polling for the civic bodies in Maharashtra is scheduled for January 15, and appointment orders were issued on December 21 to nearly 15,000 officers and employees by Nagpur municipal commissioner and election officer Abhijeet Chaudhari. However, when the letters for joining poll duty were served personally, four headmasters reportedly refused to accept them, triggering unprecedented action.
On the instructions of Dharampeth zone assistant commissioner Rajkumar Meshram, complaints were lodged at Ambazari police station, seeking offences to be registered under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, 2023, which deals with disobedience of a lawful order issued by a competent authority. Dharampeth zone’s Omprakash Koche, Karansingh Behunia, Rohit Leader and Vishal Nitanware lodged the complaints against these four headmasters after being authorised by the department.
The complaints were sent to Ambazari police accusing the officials of irresponsibility and stating that refusal to accept orders created obstruction in the election process. Civic officers argued that if such refusals went unchecked, it could disrupt the constitutional responsibility of conducting free and fair elections.
The development came at a time when the administration was already concerned after nearly 5,000 employees skipped training on December 28 and attended only after notices were served.
Ambazari police acknowledged receipt of the complaints and said further action will follow as per procedure.
For many govt teachers and employees across Nagpur, the move marked a turning point — refusing election duty may no longer end with departmental memos, but could now lead directly to criminal proceedings.
A similar message of zero tolerance has emerged from Amravati, where the municipal administration has issued show-cause notices to 514 officers and employees appointed for election duties within the Amravati Municipal Corporation (AMC) limits. The notices were issued after the staff remained absent from mandatory training sessions and election work.
Amravati municipal commissioner Saumya Sharma (Chandak) said the administration is committed to a transparent, disciplined and lawful election process, stressing that election duty is mandatory and legally binding. For election preparedness, the AMC has deployed 900 teams involving about 3,600 officers and employees. Absence during training or actual duty has been treated as a serious lapse, and the absentee staff have been asked to submit explanations.
The commissioner warned that unsatisfactory replies would invite disciplinary action, departmental inquiries and penalties as per rules, adding that attendance would strictly be monitored in the coming days.
With mounting pressure, officials said election duty cannot be treated as optional or negotiable. The message was interpreted across departments as a clear warning: once appointed, polling duty is a binding legal responsibility, not merely an assignment that can be avoided.
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