Booth-Level Officers Face Crisis: Stress, Suicides, and Struggle in India's Voter List Cleanup Drive

The intense workload for the ongoing voter list cleanup drive has left booth-level officers (BLOs) struggling to meet their deadlines across the country, sparking political outrage over alleged deaths and suicides due to stress.

Several BLOs have raised concerns over the work pressure, alleging a lack of training, low honorarium, and tight deadlines, taking a toll on their health and daily lives.

The BLOs were appointed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to add new voters, correct details, and remove duplicate or ineligible names, mostly through door-to-door verifications, even in far-off villages. In its second phase, the process is currently being carried out in 12 states, including Uttar Pradesh.

NDTV spoke to some BLOs in UP's Bulandshahr to understand their challenges.

Kavita, an Anganwadi worker serving as a BLO since 2009, said she received just one day of training on November 8. They were taught only the basics - how to download the app, complete forms online and offline, and upload their submissions.

Despite her experience with voter-related activities, she found the SIR work completely different from previous years. With minimal training, she relied on YouTube tutorials, colleagues, and fellow BLOs to learn the SIR procedures.

Daily Challenges

The SIR work has deprived BLOs of sleep and personal time, with Kavita describing an exhausting 15-16 hour daily schedule.

"I don't know when I go to sleep or when I wake up. Some days, no food is cooked at home. I wake up at 3 or 4 in the morning and do online form submission work till 10 am. Then I go to the village for physical form collection and distribution," explained Kavita.

Although BLOs were given from November 4 to December 4 to complete the verification process, the actual forms only reached them on November 8, significantly reducing their working days.

This delay resulted in extended working hours. Work continued late into the night as BLOs strived to meet daily targets. Additionally, administrative pressure, constant monitoring, and criticism for missing targets have become routine aspects of their work life.

"There is substantial work pressure. I must take medicine twice daily to continue working," said Kavita.

Suicides and Deaths

BLOs expressed concern regarding recent suicide cases reported across Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, and Rajasthan, with families attributing these incidents to increasing stress among field workers.

Jyoti, a teacher and BLO, stated that the workload intensity adds to the stress, which has driven many officers to take their own lives. Short deadlines and delayed training were among factors that doubled their workload.

"On paper, it says November 4, but our training began on November 8. We lost 4-5 days. The time allotted is insufficient, and the work is excessive. That's why BLOs are dying by suicide. If they had been given 2-3 months, they wouldn't have taken such drastic measures," she explained. However, she added that suicide is wrong, and workers should leave if they find the job too demanding.

Jyoti also noted that they must revisit voters, sometimes 8-10 times, for verification, leading to increased workload. "Sometimes voters are home, sometimes not. We must visit repeatedly. In this village, we've been told November 30 is the deadline. We aim to complete the work before then," she added.

Both Jyoti and Kavita emphasized that more time should have been allocated for such a large-scale exercise.

Compensation for BLOs

Kavita receives a daily stipend of Rs 500 for her BLO duties, in addition to her regular Anganwadi salary of Rs 4,500 from the Central government and Rs 1,500 from the UP government. However, she considers this "too little," especially since she covers work expenses from her own pocket.

"Rs 500 is inadequate. I've spent more than that on phone recharges alone. We use our personal funds to call people. I request the government to increase our salary," she said, advocating for additional incentives considering the long hours they dedicate to the SIR exercise.