Kolkata Voters and BLOs Left Baffled by Sudden Document Requests
In a surprising turn of events, numerous electors across Kolkata have received fresh calls from booth-level officers (BLOs) over the past 24 hours, demanding the resubmission of documents for the special intensive revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. This development has sparked confusion and frustration among both voters and BLOs, especially since the final electoral roll is slated for release on Saturday, leaving many questioning the timing and necessity of these last-minute requests.
BLOs Express Uncertainty Over Conflicting Instructions
One BLO from Ward 1 shared, "I received an instruction through the BLO app to contact progeny voters and ask for their documents. When I called, several questioned why this was needed after the hearing process had concluded. We are simply following orders from the Election Commission of India (ECI), but we are living in uncertainty about how many more instructions will emerge before the final roll is published." Similarly, Shrabanti Tahabider, a BLO in north Kolkata, reported making calls to 216 voters based on a recent app instruction, highlighting the widespread nature of this directive.
App Glitches and Deletions Add to the Confusion
Compounding the issue, BLOs have discovered deletions of electors' names in the draft roll uploaded on the BLO app. A BLO in Tollygunge explained, "After the hearing, the app became non-functional. Today, I found the electoral roll was back, but names of those who failed to produce EC-specified documents during the hearing were deleted." In Maniktala, another BLO noted that while no electors had document issues, some names were missing from the updated roll, prompting them to flag the matter to supervisors.
Voters Share Their Frustrations and Inconveniences
Many voters in the Cossipore-Belgachhia assembly constituency received calls on Wednesday, with requests to submit documents by Thursday afternoon. A resident of the Tala area expressed surprise when her BLO asked for an Aadhaar card copy for address verification, despite having provided all necessary documents during the hearing. "It is a strange call, as the hearing was over and the electoral roll is going to be released on Saturday," she said.
Priyanka Si from Cossipore recounted, "My name was not in the 2002 electoral roll because I was ineligible then. I got a call about that, so I came to submit documents." Pampa Paul, another resident, added, "Even though I attended the hearing, I was still asked to submit more documents today." An anonymous elector voiced frustration, "I have to cancel an important engagement because of this call. The public hearing is over, so what is the point of such harassment again?"
This situation underscores the challenges in the electoral revision process, with both officials and citizens grappling with unclear directives and technical issues as the deadline approaches.
