West Bengal Booth-Level Officers Clash With Police During Protest Over Election Commission Workload

Booth-level officers (BLOs) in West Bengal engaged in a protest on Monday, clashing with police while attempting to enter the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Kolkata. The demonstration was organized to voice concerns over what they described as excessive work pressure during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

Members of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee marched from College Square in north Kolkata carrying symbolic locks and fetters, intending to highlight their grievances by symbolically closing the main entrance of the CEO's building. When protesters attempted to move past police barricades to access the central Kolkata office, a scuffle ensued with law enforcement personnel.

During the protest, BLOs chanted slogans against the Election Commission, stating they were compelled to organize the march because the "poll panel failed to address their complaints about intense and inhuman work pressure during the SIR exercise."

A committee representative claimed that "BLOs have been instructed to complete tasks within an unreasonably short timeframe, though such work typically requires more than two years to finish properly."

The committee further alleged that many BLOs were experiencing health issues due to stress, with two officers reportedly having died by suicide.

Prior to the demonstration, the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee had announced that para-teachers, college professors, and educators from various organizations would participate in the march to demand immediate intervention from the Election Commission.

The house-to-house enumeration under SIR began on November 4 and is scheduled to continue until December 4, with draft electoral rolls set for publication on December 9.

The committee has warned that if deadlines are not extended or appropriate corrective measures not implemented, they will initiate a continuous protest program.

In a related development, another organization known as BLO Oikya Mancha had separately raised concerns regarding digitization of enumeration forms and requested additional support staff, having submitted a formal deputation on November 22.