MP Leads in Voter List Digitisation, But BLO Deaths Raise Concerns

Bhopal: Madhya Pradesh has emerged as one of the top-performing states in voter list digitisation, achieving 57.05% completion under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) program. However, the process has also raised concerns as four Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) have died since November 11, reportedly due to work pressure and stress.

Digitisation Progress

The digitisation exercise, aimed at updating and error-proofing voter lists, is being carried out across 65,014 BLOs, covering 57.3 million voters in the state. As of 23 November, over 32.7 million forms have been digitised. This progress places Madhya Pradesh fourth among 12 states and UTs in SIR completion and second among large states with over five million voters, after Rajasthan.

Tragic Losses Among BLOs

Tragically, four BLOs, all government school teachers, lost their lives during the operation. Families allege that high workloads, long hours, and fear of suspension for missing targets contributed to these deaths.

• Datia: A teacher allegedly committed suicide, unable to cope with smartphone-based work pressures.
• Damoh and Raisen: Two teachers reportedly succumbed to stress from unrealistic daily targets of registering 100 voters.
• Alirajpur: A BLO reportedly fell from stairs a day after being suspended for negligence during SIR duty.

Authorities have clarified that investigations and post-mortem reports will determine the actual causes of death.

Performance in Context

Among states participating in SIR, Lakshadweep (88.20%), Goa (69.38%), and Rajasthan (65.52%) lead the rankings. However, Madhya Pradesh stands out for its scale, managing millions of voters, far exceeding the smaller states in absolute numbers. Other states’ completion percentages include Gujarat (49.62%), Puducherry (51.24%), Andaman & Nicobar (44.13%), Tamil Nadu (40.40%), Chhattisgarh (40.83%), West Bengal (47.72%), Uttar Pradesh (19.02%), and Kerala (15.92%).

About SIR

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) aims to improve voter lists through door-to-door verification and digitisation by BLOs, ensuring accurate, error-free records. Voters who have not received their forms can submit them online via the ECI portal. Details of BLOs are available on the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Madhya Pradesh website and the National Voter Search Portal.