New Delhi, April 6 -- An April 3 directive issued by the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on food and refreshment allowance for poll personnel has come under scrutiny for allegedly contravening rates fixed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on August 8, 2025.

According to an ECI press note issued on August 8, 2025, the Commission had revised the food and refreshment allowance for polling personnel from Rs.150 per head to Rs.500, the first such increase since 2016. However, the April 3, 2026 directive from the West Bengal CEO, signed by the Joint Chief Electoral Officer and addressed to the Accountant General (A&E), West Bengal, fixes the meal entitlement at Rs.170 per head. It further states that if a packed meal cannot b...