After 60 BLOs face FIRs, Noida teacher on duty submits resignation; cites ‘mental strain’

When contacted by HT on Monday, the teacher initially said she was “very agitated” and “not mentally in a condition to speak.” After repeated questions, she admitted she was “fed up” and overwhelmed.

A booth-level officer (BLO) deployed for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Noida allegedly resigned from her election duties, saying she was unable to continue amid the district administration’s enforcement action against erring staff.

FIRs were lodged against 60 BLOs and seven supervisors for alleged negligence during the revision drive. (HT photo)

A purported photograph of her resignation application went viral on Monday, amplifying anxiety among field-level workers involved in the month-long revision of electoral rolls.

The BLO, a primary school teacher posted for Part 206, said she had completed online feeding for 215 out of 1,179 voters but was “not in a condition” to continue and sought a replacement. In her note addressed to the electoral registration officer, she wrote that she had been fulfilling her duties but was “very agitated” and mentally exhausted, adding she would not be able to do justice to the remaining work. She emphasised that while she would continue her teaching responsibilities, she could no longer carry forward election-related duties.

The move came a day after FIRs were lodged against 60 BLOs and seven supervisors for alleged negligence, missed deadlines and lapses in door-to-door verification during the November 4-December 4 revision drive. The action has heightened tension among field workers who say the workload has been unusually heavy this year, with simultaneous online verification, physical surveys and continuous monitoring.

When contacted by HT on Monday, the teacher initially said she was “very agitated” and “not mentally in a condition to speak.” After repeated questions, she admitted she was “fed up” and overwhelmed. “Nobody is creating any pressure on me. It’s just that I don’t want to do anything right now,” she said, adding that her resignation had not yet been accepted and she remained present at her booth.

In her handwritten letter, the BLO – posted at UPS Gejha and serving as a teacher at Prathmik Vidyalaya Sarfabad – stated that she had uploaded part of the required entries but could not continue with the remaining tasks. She said the nature of the drive, combined with the scale of voter data to be verified, had “exhausted” her.

The district administration, however, said no formal resignation has been received. Electoral registration officer (Dadri) Anuj Nehra said, “We were informed about a resignation letter earlier in the day, but no such communication has been officially received through the proper channel. The BLO in question is still on duty and carrying out her assigned work. The revision exercise is demanding for all field staff, but adequate guidance and support are being provided. At this moment, there is no formal resignation on record and she continues to discharge her responsibilities.”

Nehra added that the district’s progress is updated every two hours on the Election Commission portal. “In Dadri, the revision work is currently at around 24%. We have deployed 752 BLOs for the Special Revision exercise to ensure the process stays on track,” he said.

Meanwhile, other BLOs, speaking on condition of anonymity, said the pressure has increased sharply this year, especially for women staff balancing extended field hours with household responsibilities. One BLO posted in Sector 55 said the workload has expanded beyond manageable limits. “Our day begins at 10am but there is no fixed end. Work continues offline and online… People don’t realise the pressure BLOs are under,” she said.

Another BLO said frequent revisits to households where residents were unavailable prolonged the process significantly. “Many people aren’t home during the day. We end up going back multiple times, sometimes three or four times. The work keeps piling up,” she said.

A third BLO said that while the FIRs served as a warning, they had deepened anxiety among field staff. “Supervisors are pushing hard because of the FIRs. Nobody wants to be named,” he said.

However, some BLOs offered a different perspective. Vinay Ranjan from Sector 6 said the responsibilities are demanding but not unmanageable. “No job is easy. BLOs have been doing this work for years, and by now we should be familiar with our areas. We were given a full month. If any part of my work is pending, that reflects on my own responsibility,” he said. Responding to claims that teachers struggle due to inadequate training, he added, “I am also a teacher at Harola. Yes, the pressure is high at the moment, but it is doable.”

On Sunday, FIRs were filed under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950 against 60 BLOs and seven supervisors across Noida, Dadri and Jewar for “negligence, indifference and violation of instructions.” The SIR drive involves house-to-house verification, corrections, deletions and field-level reporting. According to officials, legal action was initiated after supervisors reported missed deadlines and repeated non-compliance during checks.