'Won't be able to...': Noida BLO resigns, cites SIR pressure as workload mounts

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As the struggles of Booth Level Officers (BLO) during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drives continue to surface, yet another BLO in Noida has stepped down from her election duties, citing mounting pressure and the struggle to balance her role as a government school teacher with the demands of the SIR.

Pinky Singh, an assistant teacher at Geja Higher Primary School in Sector 94, was tasked with managing voter verification for Sector 33 Rockwood School. Her assigned voter list included 1,179 entries, of which she had already updated 215 online. Despite making progress, Singh said the workload had become overwhelming.

In her handwritten resignation letter addressed to an election officer, Singh wrote:

“I am resigning from my job. I won’t be able to do this work anymore. I am neither able to teach nor perform the BLO work. Please let me know to whom I can hand over the election material."

The letter, which was originally written in Hindi, quickly spread across social media, drawing attention to the growing unrest among field officers involved in the revision drive.

The ongoing SIR activity, which began on November 4 and will continue until December 4, requires BLOs to conduct door-to-door verification, match old electoral data with updated records, and capture photographs using a designated mobile app. The task is to be performed alongside their regular government duties, often under strict timelines.

Several BLOs have raised concerns that the workload has intensified significantly this year, with many being asked to work late evenings and weekends to meet targets. Some officers say the pressure is affecting their physical and mental well-being.

The strain has led to a wider debate on work conditions for BLOs. In recent weeks, there have been reports from multiple states linking SIR-related stress to suicides among field-level staff, prompting calls for better support systems, training and workload assessment.