SIR 2025: A Shocking Picture Unfolds as BLOs Conduct House-to-House Visits

SIR 2025: A Special Intensive Revision of the voter list has begun across the state. As part of this process, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are visiting every household to verify voter information and fill out new Enumeration Forms. The main objective is to prepare a completely error-free and transparent voter list before the upcoming elections. However, this campaign is revealing a mixed and complex picture, posing new challenges for both the staff and the authorities.

A Noble Cause, But a Complex Path

The authorities’ directive is clear—the list must be 100% accurate. The main task of this ‘purification’ process is to remove the names of deceased individuals and citizens who have permanently relocated from the voter list. Additionally, enrolling new eligible voters and correcting any errors in existing data are also partof this campaign. This is why BLOs have been instructed to visit every house in person.

The Ground Reality: The Picture Emerging

During these house-to-house visits, BLOs are noticing several serious discrepancies that have remained as errors in the list for a long time.

• Presence of Deceased Voters: The biggest problem emerging is that the names of many voters who passed away several years ago are still on the list. In many cases, their families did not report the information, or it was not updated for some reason. BLOs are identifying such names and trying to collect death certificates.
• Relocated Citizens: Many people who have permanently changed their address for work or other reasons still have their names on the voter list at their old address. This is also a major issue being identified in this field survey.

This verification process is extremely time-consuming. In many homes, it is found that the head of the household or the person whose information is to be verified is not present. Consequently, BLOs are instructed to visit a single house multiple times (up to three times), which slows down the pace of work.

Multiple Challenges for Staff

The BLOs, who are managing this massive operation, are also facing several practical problems.

• Pressure of Dual Responsibilities: Most BLOs are school teachers or employees of other government departments. They have to perform this additional intensive survey work while managing their regular duties, which is creating immense pressure on them.
• Logistical Issues: Although work has started in some areas, BLOs have not received an adequate supply of Enumeration Forms on time. They have had to start work with a shortage of forms, which has caused frustration among the staff.
• Public Confusion: Especially in rural areas, some citizens are somewhat confused and anxious about filling out this new form. They fear their names might be deleted if there is any mistake in the form. BLOs are spending extra time clearing up this confusion and helping them fill out the forms.

What Should Citizens Do?

Authorities have stated that citizen cooperation is essential for the success of this process.

When a BLO visits your home, you must assist them by providing correct information. If a voter in your household has passed away, please show the death certificate and apply to have the name removed from the list. This is extremely important for a transparent democratic process. This entire process will continue for a specific period, and the final voter list will be published based on it.