NEW DELHI: Describing the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal as “unplanned, chaotic, and dangerous,” chief minister Mamata Banerjee said on Thursday that the situation had reached an “alarming stage” following the deaths of multiple booth-level officers (BLOs), including an anganwadi worker in Jalpaiguri.In a letter addressed to CEC Gyanesh Kumar, Banerjee said she had “time and again flagged my serious concerns” but had now been “compelled to write” as the situation had deteriorated sharply.Also read: BLO found hanging, husband blames SIR stress, files FIR
She wrote that the manner in which the EC had pushed the SIR onto officials and residents was “not only unplanned and chaotic, but also dangerous”, alleging the absence of basic preparedness, clear communication, or adequate planning.According to her, the process has been “crippled from day one” by poor training, confusion over mandatory documentation, and the near impossibility of meeting voters during their work hours. She warned that the credibility of the voter roll itself was at risk, saying BLOs were being forced to work “far beyond human limits” while balancing their principal duties as teachers and frontline workers. Banerjee said most BLOs were struggling with online submissions because of server failures and repeated data mismatches, making it “almost certain” that accurate voter data could not be uploaded by the 4 December deadline. She added that many BLOs, under fear of punitive action, were being pushed to submit incorrect entries, “risking disenfranchisement of genuine voters”.Mamata’s letter came after, Shanti Muni Ekka, had repeatedly asked to be relieved from duties but was denied, her family said. Her inability to read or write Bengali and the need to visit tea garden workers late at night had left her “mentally devastated”, according to her son. Another BLO died earlier this month after a stroke allegedly linked to pressure to meet distribution targets.Earlier, on Wednesday the West Bengal CM had condemned what she describes as the “inhuman” pressure placed on field workers, following the death of a BLO in Jalpaiguri. She claimed 28 personnel have died since the SIR began and urged the ECI to suspend the drive, though opposition parties have dismissed her allegations.The national revision exercise, now in its second phase, has seen more than 50 crore enumeration forms distributed across 12 states and Union territories.The Election Commission of India (ECI) has urged the Nadia administration in West Bengal to complete digitising records from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by 26 November, as the state advances its preparations for forthcoming elections. According to officials, West Bengal has 7.66 crore electors, with 99.72 per cent of Enumeration Forms already distributed and digitisation completed for 1.48 crore forms.
