Mumbai: Tightening the screws on the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Commission of India has directed all District Magistrates to wrap up the digitisation of enumeration forms by November 25 – a full week ahead of the earlier deadline.
Sources say the ECI wants the mammoth data-entry exercise completed urgently to allow smooth progression to the next phases, including draft voter list publication. Booth Level Officers (BLOs), already stretched with house-to-house verification, now face intense pressure to upload details into the dedicated app without errors.
The rush has taken a toll: reports of BLOs suffering sudden health scares – brain strokes and breakdowns – during training sessions have surfaced, prompting Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee to shoot off a strong letter to the Chief Election Commissioner demanding immediate suspension of SIR, better training and an end to “repressive measures”. In contrast, Leader of Opposition Suvendu Adhikari has urged the Commission to push ahead undeterred.
With digitisation hovering around 25–26 percent so far in West Bengal, the accelerated timeline has sparked fears of inaccuracies creeping in, especially since many BLOs struggle with the mobile app and fleeting website editing options. As the clock ticks, the battle over Bengal’s voter list cleanliness has turned into a high-stakes political and administrative drama.