Training for BLOs on SIR begins across Bengal; demand grows for ‘heightened security’

A section of booth-level officers (BLOs), tasked with carrying out door-to-door verification for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of West Bengal’s electoral rolls, during a training session at Kolkata’s Nazrul Mancha auditorium demanded clarity on attendance issues for their regular government duties and on security measures being taken for their safety during the SIR exercise.

Training programmes for BLOs began across the State on Saturday (November 1, 2025) and will conclude within November 3, a day before BLOs are expected to venture out for door-to-door visits for elector verification for SIR. Roughly 80,000 BLOs across West Bengal are expected to get trained on how to carry out door-to-door visits, fill emuneration forms, operate the mobile application for BLOs, utilise the BLO kit and coordinate with political party-appointed booth level agents (BLAs) for SIR.

“BLOs will visit each house under a polling booth, help electors fill emuneration forms and put up the data on the BLO app. Photographs of the electors will also be attached with the emuneration form. The collected data will then be verified by the election registration officials. Electors will also be able to reach out to BLOs through the ECINET app. There will be at least one BLO per polling booth,” sources at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.

BLOs appointed across several Assembly constituencies in south Kolkata attended a training programme in Nazrul Mancha on Saturday, where a section of them staged an agitation demanding clarity on whether they would be kept ‘on-duty’ in their regular jobs while they carry out home visits for SIR.

“The BLOs appointed for SIR are employed with the government already. Most of them are working as teachers. There is some confusion on how we are expected to attend school while carrying out emuneration work for SIR. We have to visit each house at least three times for filling up emuneration forms and verifying them,” said a BLO who was attending training.

Sources at the CEO’s office clarified that as of now, SIR duties have to be carried out in addition to their regular responsibilities.

“70% of BLOs are government staff and teachers. Normally, duties surrounding the SIR are in addition to their everyday responsibilities in their regular job appointments, unless there is an order from the Election Commission stating otherwise,” sources said.

The BLOs also expressed apprehensions around security during the door-to-door exercise. Several organisations like the Votekarmi and BLO Aikya Mancha and the Sangrami Joutha Mancha had earlier flagged potential security issues to the CEO’s office.

Swapan Mandal, General Secretary of the Votekarmi and BLO Aikya Mancha on Friday wrote to CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal, requesting his intervention in guaranteeing safety and security of BLOs engaged for SIR purpose and alleging intimidation by political goons.

“We are scared for our personal safety while we carry out the door-to-door visits. There have been several instances of political party workers issuing threats to BLOs after SIR was announced. We hope the Election Commission will take stringent security measures before we start the groundwork on November 4,” Mr. Mandal said.

CEO Manoj Kumar Agarwal had earlier assured them that the State police would ensure law and order is maintained during the exercise.

BLA forms received

The CEO’s office, as of October 30, received a total of 18,340 appointment forms for the positions of Booth Level Agents (BLA-2s) who are appointed by political parties at the polling station level, sources said.

A total of 2,349 BLA-2 forms were received from Trinamool, 7,912 forms were received from the Bharatiya Janata Party, 6,175 forms were received from the Communist Party of India (Marxist), 1,255 forms were received from the Congress, and 649 forms were received from All India Forward Bloc, as of October 30.

BLA-2 agents are expected to assist BLOs in carrying out the emuneration phase of the SIR in West Bengal between November 4 and December 4. The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on December 9.