Kolkata, Nov 20 West Bengal Chief Minister, Mamata Banerjee, on Thursday wrote to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), Gyanesh Kumar, objecting to Special Intensive Revision (SIR), claiming that the manner in which the exercise is being forced upon the electoral officials and citizens is “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,” she said.
The Chief Minister said that she is being compelled to write 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,” she said.
The Chief Minister said that the absence of even basic preparedness, adequate planning, or clear communication has crippled the process from day one.
The Chief Minister also requested the CEC to put on hold the SIR exercise in order to avoid more drastic consequences in the future.
“I would request you to kindly intervene decisively to halt the ongoing exercise, stop coercive measures, provide proper training and support, and thoroughly reassess the present methodology and timelines,” she said.
The Chief Minister said that if this path is not corrected without delay, the consequences for the system, the officials, and the citizens will be irreversible.
“This intervention is not only necessary but imperative to protect the integrity of the electoral process and our democratic framework,” the Chief Minister’s letter read.
She said that the process lacks critical gaps in training, the 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.
The Chief Minister further said that while she deeply appreciated the strenuous efforts put in by the BLOs under these extremely pressing circumstances and huge workload, it could not be denied that the BLOs were not provided adequate training, support, and time required for undertaking a mammoth exercise of this nature.
She said that the unrealistic workload, impossible timelines, inadequate support, and the pressure of data entry have collectively placed the entire process and its credibility at severe risk.
“BLOs are now operating far beyond human limits. They are expected to manage their principal duties (many being teachers and frontline workers) while simultaneously conducting door-to-door surveys and handling complex e-submissions,” she said.
The Chief Minister said that most are struggling with online forms due to a lack of training, server failures, and repeated data mismatches.
--IANS
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