SIR picks up pace, but drive takes a mental toll on BLOs in Noida, Greater Noida

In Noida, Greater Noida and the rural belt, BLOs said their daily schedules involve long verification rounds across high-rises, plotted colonies and villages, followed by fresh instructions

While the Gautam Budh Nagar administration claims the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has picked up brisk pace with expanded ground support, booth-level officers (BLOs) working in Noida and Greater Noida highlight a different reality marked by rising workload, long hours of field movement and a growing uncertainty after FIRs were lodged against the BLO staff earlier this month.

According to officials, six zonal and 72 sector magistrates, along with coordinators from Noida authority and RWAs, have been deployed to support the BLOs with mapping, access to high-rises and locating households. (HT Photos)

BLOs alleged the verification burden in high-rise clusters and rapidly expanding peri-urban villages has outpaced the manpower assigned to each sector, forcing them to extend work beyond their regular duty hours.

In Noida, Greater Noida and the rural belt, the BLOs said their daily schedules involve long verification rounds across high-rises, plotted colonies and villages, followed by evening updates and fresh instructions.

“The pace is extremely high. We finish one cluster and immediately get another batch of pending verifications. Sector magistrates are reviewing progress multiple times a day. We understand the need for accuracy, but the timelines feel overwhelming,” said a BLO from Sector 50 requesting anonymity.

“Every morning we start with a list of pending verifications, and by evening new complaints or instructions arrive. It has become impossible to meet the deadlines without working late hours,” said another BLO from Sector 12.

BLOs said that the ground reality is challenging, especially in areas with dense population. “We sometimes revisit the same tower three or four times because residents are travelling, flats are locked or documents aren’t ready,” said a BLO posted in Sector 76.

Some shared constant anxiety of inviting harsh action. “There is a constant fear of making a small mistake… One missed flat, one untraced address and we worry about disciplinary action,” said a BLO deployed in Greater Noida.

While officials say the recent FIRs were meant to ensure compliance, frontline workers describe the environment as “tense” and “high-pressure”.

The district administration, meanwhile, claims the revision drive (from November 4 to December 4) is underway at a “high speed”.

According to officials, six zonal and 72 sector magistrates, along with coordinators from Noida authority and RWAs, have been deployed to support the BLOs with mapping, access to high-rises and locating households.

The administration also said that several BLOs - particularly those in Dadri, Jewar and Noida - have completed over 80% of digital work. “Teams at every level are active. BLOs are not alone on the ground. Complaints are being resolved immediately and the digital completion rate is rising steadily,” said district magistrate and district election officer (Gautam Budh Nagar) Medha Roopam.

Meanwhile, the district administration has tightened protocols for all officials and staff deployed on the SIR.

Citing directions from the Election Commission of India, the additional district magistrate (finance & revenue) and deputy district election officer, Atul Kumar, said no officer or employee assigned to the revision work will be granted leave without prior approval from the district magistrate.

BLOs have been conducting door-to-door verification and digitisation of forms from November 4 to December 4, after which claims and objections will be accepted from December 9 to January 8, ahead of the final publication of the rolls on February 7, 2026.

Officials have also been instructed not to leave their headquarters on public holidays without permission, underscoring the administration’s focus on completing the revision within the stipulated timelines.

On Tuesday, a BLO from Hajipur deployed for the ongoing voter roll revision in Gautam Budh Nagar allegedly submitted a handwritten resignation in the aftermath of “intense pressure” and “unmanageable workload”. It followed another BLO posted in Sarfabad, who reportedly quit after FIRs were filed against the BLOs and supervisors.

Sub-divisional magistrate and electoral registration officer (Dadri), Anuj Nehra, said the resignation letters being circulated on social media have not been communicated to the administration through any official channel. “The earlier teacher who was reported to have resigned is dealing with some ongoing medical issues, though she is still in the field, and the second letter has also not been received officially. We are not sure how these letters are being circulated,” she said, adding that the electoral roll revision work is continuing as scheduled.