SIR time crunch: BLOs face general apathy, delays and threats on field

Raipur: As the deadline for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) approaches, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on the ground say they are grappling with widespread non-cooperation from voters, delayed submission of forms, technical constraints, and even safety concerns. Several BLOs, while speaking to TOI, said that despite going door to door to distribute enumeration forms, many voters are not returning the forms even after ten days. When BLOs revisit the households to collect them, they often find the forms either blank or filled incorrectly. Omprakash Chandrakar, a teacher at Shaheed Bhagat Singh Government School in Pandri, said BLOs are stretched thin as the extended deadline approaches. "We are doing our best to meet the schedule, but if the forms don't come back on time or come back incomplete, our entire field plan gets disturbed," he said. BLO Sunaina Verma, a teacher at a govt school in Dal Dal Seoni area of Raipur, said even educated citizens are not cooperating. "We can understand when less-educated people struggle with the documents. But many well-educated residents keep the forms with them for more than a week and still don't fill them properly," she said. For many BLOs, the work is physically and technically demanding. Sixty-four-year-old Anganwadi worker Shakuntala Pathak said she has difficulty handling the digital processes. "I am technically challenged," she admitted. "My daughter-in-law, who is also an Anganwadi teacher, helps me complete the online entries after I return from the field," she added. Another Anganwadi worker, Chandraprabha Dewangan, highlighted discrepancies in the voters' list. "Around 300 voters in my booth area have shifted elsewhere, but their names are still mapped to my booth. Verifying such cases takes a lot of time, especially when people are not available or unwilling to respond," she said. Personal safety is another challenge for several BLOs. Rajia Begum, 62, an Anganwadi worker, said she has received threatening calls from some voters. "Some people expect us to fill their forms for them. When we refuse or tell them to provide proper documents, they threaten us on the phone," she said. Teacher Sweta Kurre said the workload has doubled due to the extended deadline. "We leave home between 8 am and 9 am and return only after sunset. Much of the work gets delayed because voters don't cooperate despite repeated reminders," she said. Revenue Inspector Narendra Gendre, who was supervising verification work at Khadi Bhandar in Pandri, acknowledged the difficult conditions BLOs are facing. "Their job is not easy. Even well-educated voters hold on to forms for ten days or more instead of submitting them on time. This slows down the entire revision process," he said. With the SIR set to close on December 11, BLOs say that while work in some booths — such as Khadi Bhandar — has nearly concluded, the biggest challenge continues to be voter indifference. "The process can be completed smoothly only if voters understand their responsibility," one of the BLOs said.