BLOs to hold march in Kolkata on Monday to protest against work pressure under SIR exercise

Kolkata: An organisation of booth-level officers engaged in the ongoing SIR process in West Bengal is scheduled to hold a march here on Monday to protest against the alleged excessive work pressure and "systemic lapses" in the exercise.

Members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee planned to submit a representation to the Election Commission, a functionary of the organisation said.

Since the launch of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in the state, the BLOs across districts have been working "under unprecedented and inhuman pressure", the committee alleged.

The committee said it would take out the march from College Square in north Kolkata to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in central part of the city, demanding immediate intervention and corrective steps from the Election Commission.

It also claimed that para-teachers, college professors and teachers from various organisations are expected to join the procession in support of their demands.

"We have been asked to complete tasks within a short period of time, but such works usually take more than two years," the functionary of the organisation said.

The house-to-house enumeration as part of the SIR started on November 4 and will continue till December 4. The draft rolls will be published on December 9.

Another committee member also claimed that the "stress has led to multiple cases of illness, and at least two BLOs died by suicide".

The committee members warned that if the EC does not extend deadlines or address the concerns raised by BLOs, they will launch a continuous protest programme.

Another organisation, the BLO Oikya Mancha, has also flagged issues related to the digitisation of enumeration forms and sought additional support staff.