West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, raising concern over the implementation of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in the state. In her letter, she also expressed grief over the loss of life in the state in the last few months since the beginning of SIR. Meanwhile, she called the process “unplanned, chaotic, and dangerous.”
“I have time and again flagged my serious concerns in respect of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) and the way it has been thrust upon the people. Now, I am compelled to write to you as the situation surrounding the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has reached a deeply alarming stage. The manner in which this exercise is being forced upon officials and citizens is not only unplanned and chaotic, but also dangerous. The absence of even basic preparedness, adequate planning, or clear communication has crippled the process from day one. Critical gaps in training, lack of clarity on mandatory documentation, and the near-impossibility of meeting voters in the midst of their livelihood schedules have made the exercise structurally unsound,” Banerjee wrote.
Mamata Banerjee Points Out BLOs’ Working Conditions
The West Bengal CM further pointed out the working conditions of the booth-level officers. She alleged that they were not adequately trained and had to work under severe time constraints. “I deeply appreciate the strenuous efforts put in by the BLOs under these extremely pressing circumstances and huge workload. However, it cannot be denied that the BLOs have not been provided adequate training, support, and time required for undertaking a mammoth exercise of this nature. The unrealistic workload, impossible timelines, and inadequate support with online data entry have collectively placed the entire process-and its credibility at severe risk. This strikes at the heart of our electoral democracy.”
Considering all this, Banerjee also criticised the State Election Commission for not addressing the problems that the common people, including the BLOs, are going through.
