Kolkata: West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, expressing serious concerns over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state and urging immediate corrective action.

In her letter, Banerjee described the exercise as “unplanned, chaotic, and dangerous,” warning that the current methodology and timelines were creating severe stress for officials and citizens alike. She highlighted that Booth-Level Officers (BLOs), many of whom are teachers and frontline workers, were struggling under unrealistic workloads, with inadequate training and support for online data entry, while simultaneously managing their primary duties.

“The absence of even basic preparedness, adequate planning or clear communication has crippled the process from day one,” she wrote, noting critical gaps in training, unclear mandatory documentation requirements, and the difficulty of reaching voters amid their livelihood schedules.

Banerjee further warned that, under extreme pressure, BLOs were being pushed to submit incorrect or incomplete entries, risking the disenfranchisement of genuine voters and undermining the integrity of the electoral rolls. She said that the timing of the exercise, coinciding with peak paddy harvest and Rabi sowing, was “equally indefensible” and placing immense strain on farmers and labourers.

The Chief Minister also criticised the response of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer’s office, saying that instead of providing support, officials were issuing show-cause notices and intimidating BLOs with “severe disciplinary action.”

Banerjee drew attention to the human cost of the rushed SIR process, citing recent deaths of BLOs, including the reported suicide of an anganwadi worker in Mal, Jalpaiguri, due to the pressures of the revision.

She urged the Election Commission to “reassess the present methodology and timelines” and to “stop coercive measures, provide proper training and support” to BLOs, warning that continuing the current approach would endanger lives and compromise the legitimacy of the electoral revision.