Key Highlights:
- Nearly 14 lakh SIR (Special Intensive Revision) enumeration forms in West Bengal identified as uncollectable due to absentee, duplicate, deceased, or permanently shifted voters.
- Over 80,600 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the extensive voter data collection and household enumeration process.
- The SIR process faces significant challenges, including at least three BLO deaths attributed to workload pressures.
Opening Overview:
West Bengal SIR has flagged nearly 14 lakh enumeration forms as uncollectable due to issues such as absenteeism, duplication, death, or permanent relocation of voters. The number has surged rapidly from the earlier 10.33 lakh, reflecting a vigorous ongoing verification exercise across the state. The West Bengal SIR is a crucial democratic enterprise aimed at refining voter rolls before imminent elections, ensuring accuracy and legitimacy of voter data.
Thousands of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), supported by supervisors and electoral officers, are conducting door-to-door data collection and form distribution. However, this mammoth electoral revision has incurred significant human costs, with several BLOs succumbing to health complications amid strenuous working conditions. The West Bengal SIR exemplifies the weighty responsibilities and delicate balance of maintaining electoral integrity while managing personnel welfare.
Increasing Scale and Impact of Voter Data Collection
Nearly 14 lakh SIR forms currently marked uncollectable largely due to voter absenteeism, duplicate entries, death, or relocation.
More than 80,600 BLOs alongside supervisors and assistant officers efficiently manage this large-scale household enumeration.
This extensive Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal employs over 80,600 BLOs tasked with verifying voter details and collecting updated data directly from households. The West Bengal SIR classification of nearly 14 lakh forms as uncollectable highlights substantial challenges: many voters are found to be absentee, have duplicate listings, deceased, or permanently shifted elsewhere. This figure reflects a rapid increase from 10.33 lakh just days earlier, underscoring the dynamic nature of data verification in India’s populous state.
The rigorous campaign aims to complete enumeration and digitization by early December 2025, ensuring the electoral roll’s accuracy. The effort also includes approximately 8,000 supervisors, 3,000 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, and 294 Electoral Registration Officers collaborating to meet deadlines.
❗ALERT❗
— All India Trinamool Congress (@AITCofficial) November 12, 2025
The SIR process is fast turning into a full-blown disaster. Massive discrepancies are being reported between the 2002 SIR Electoral Roll uploaded on the CEO website and the hard copies in possession of officials. Pages are missing. Supplement lists have vanished. Voter… pic.twitter.com/V9bKJlbxg7
Challenges and Human Costs Amid the Revision
At least three BLO deaths have been reported amid reports of excessive work pressure.
BLOs face intense workloads resulting in protests and growing mental health concerns.
The West Bengal SIR process has been marred by grave human costs. Each BLO manages hundreds of households under strict timelines, resulting in overwhelming pressure.
Tragically, three BLO deaths have been recorded during this revision, including suicides and health-related fatalities. Several officers have fallen ill, raising alarms about the sustainability of the workload. These conditions have stirred demands from families and political leaders, including Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, urging the reevaluation or pause of the SIR process. These developments highlight the systemic and operational challenges of conducting large-scale electoral roll revision efficiently yet humanely.
Official Procedures and Timeline
The SIR cycle began in late October 2025 with form distribution starting November 4.
Household enumeration closes December 4, followed by a claims and objections period ahead of final roll publication.
The legally mandated West Bengal SIR commenced in late October 2025 under Election Commission of India directives. Form distribution launched November 4, marking the beginning of house-to-house data collection, concluding December 4.
Post-enumeration, voters have a window for claims and objections until early January, facilitating correction and dispute resolution. The final voter roll publication is slated for early February 2026. This strict timeline supports constitutional goals to ensure qualified voter participation by removing ineligible or duplicate entries and rationalizing polling station allocation. These steps collectively build a credible and compliant electoral roll ready for upcoming elections.
The official statistics summarize the depth and complexity of the SIR exercise. West Bengal SIR voter list has expanded by 66% since 2002, increasing from 4.58 crore to 7.63 crore electors. The expansive effort, involving tens of thousands of election personnel, illustrates the magnitude of electoral roll maintenance within a populous state. The large number of uncollectable forms reflects demographic shifts, migration, mortality, and data duplication challenges inherent in voter roll upkeep.
Final Perspective on the West Bengal SIR Process
The West Bengal SIR (Special Intensive Revision) represents an essential yet strenuous effort to uphold electoral roll integrity ahead of future elections. The identification of nearly 14 lakh uncollectable forms underscores the critical task of filtering out ineligible entries to ensure credible voter lists. Despite democratic gains, the strain placed on BLOs and associated personnel spotlight urgent concerns for humane working conditions. As the revision nears completion, sustained governmental oversight and electoral commission responsiveness will be pivotal to support frontline electoral workers and safeguard West Bengal’s democratic process.
