IIT-Kgp ‘disruption’ fears after staff get poll duty call
Times of India | 9 April 2026
Kharagpur/Kolkata: IIT Kharagpur authorities wrote to the district magistrate, requesting exemption of hostel employees from election duties to ensure "uninterrupted mess services and hostel maintenance, considered emergency duties". Out of 211 Group C and D staff members, 171 received letters for election training.
"We have written to the district magistrate to exempt hall employees, engaged in emergency services, from election duties," said IIT Kharagpur director Suman Chakraborty.
Following the letter and a meeting with administrative officials, around 65 of the IIT Group C and D staffers were reportedly relieved of their election duties.
The institute wrote that in the absence of these employees, food services would be severely impacted, which would potentially disrupt academic activities. "Their services support nearly 17,000 students staying at various halls of residence" and that they were "engaged in the maintenance of students' hostels and mess services", the authorities wrote. Group C and D staff members work in different shifts every day, including on national and weekly holidays.
A few IIT officials on Wednesday held a meeting with additional district magistrate (district council) Sukanta Saha and other officials. "The IIT authorities explained the problems that would arise if their hostel management staff members were assigned election duties. It has been reported from the district administration around 65 of the 171 staffers have been relieved of election duty," said an official.
Some of the IIT staffers attended election training at South Side Boys' School on Wednesday. Around 500 IIT employees from other departments have been assigned election duties. West Midnapore DM Bijin Krishna said workers were needed for election duty, and that there was a shortage of about 3,000 polling personnel.