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Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls staged a massive protest outside the Election Commission office in Kolkata, alleging unbearable workload and mental stress. Heavy police deployment was required as the demonstration turned chaotic.
Chaos Outside EC Office: BLOs Protest ‘Inhuman’ SIR Burden
Kolkata: The anger of booth-level officers (BLOs) engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process of the electoral rolls in West Bengal erupted into a massive protest in Kolkata on Monday. The BLOs gathered outside the Election Commission office and protested vehemently, expressing their displeasure over the pressure they faced during the SIR process. The protest suddenly escalated to such a level that the police had to deploy heavy force and intervene several times to control the crowd. Many protesters continued shouting slogans near the barricades, creating a tense atmosphere.
The protesting BLOs say that the SIR process has made their work extremely demanding. Constantly going out in the field to verify documents, visiting every household, and filling out a large number of forms is physically and mentally exhausting. Many BLOs reported working 12 to 14 hours a day, severely impacting their families and personal lives. There are also allegations that the pressure to meet the pace of work and meet targets has led to the deaths of BLOs in many parts of the country, after which families have accused the Election Commission of negligence and excessive pressure.
This protest by BLOs comes at a time when, during a protest in Kolkata last week, some protesters attempted to enter the State Election Commissioner's office. Following this, the Election Commission wrote to the Kolkata Police Commissioner, describing this security lapse as extremely serious. The Commission clearly stated that the safety of election officials is a top priority and that concrete steps should be taken to prevent such incidents in the future.
Following continued protests by BLOs, the Election Commission has decided to extend the SIR process deadline by seven days. Form filling and verification will now continue until December 11th, while the draft voter list will be published on December 16th. The final voter list will be released on February 14th. The Commission states that the extension of the deadline will provide relief to both voters and officials and ensure a smoother completion of the process.
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The SIR process is currently underway simultaneously in 12 states, involving the verification of records of over 500 million voters. More than 5.32 lakh booth-level officers and over 1.2 million booth-level agents are actively engaged in this extensive task. Officials say that this large-scale data verification process has never been seen before, which has increased both pressure and challenges.
BLOs participating in the protests have indicated that their agitation will continue until concrete steps are taken to reduce their workload and streamline the SIR process. Meanwhile, the administration and the Election Commission are closely monitoring the situation to prevent any disruption to law and order.
