Nishar Mohammed & Vikramaditya
Sri Vijaya Puram, Nov. 27: In a strongly worded press conference today, Mr. TSG Bhasker, Chairman of the President Campaign Committee of the Andaman & Nicobar Territorial Congress Committee (ANTCC), raised serious concerns about the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. He stated that while the SIR is simultaneously underway across multiple states including Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and West Bengal, the situation in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands has become unnecessarily stressful and unmanageable for Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
Addressing the media, Mr. Bhasker said that each BLO in the Municipal area is currently responsible for visiting an average of 900 to 950 households at least three times, which he described as “humanly impossible.” He highlighted that despite difficult terrain, multi-storey buildings, and long walking distances, BLOs are being pushed to complete the process within a 30-day deadline, similar to mainland states—an approach he called insensitive and impractical for the island’s unique geography.
Mr. Bhasker also cited national data indicating 16 BLO deaths across India, including 9 deaths by suicide, allegedly due to excessive work pressure during the SIR process. While acknowledging that such incidents have not occurred in the Andaman region, he warned that many local BLOs were showing early signs of depression and exhaustion. He urged the administration to recognize their workload and treat them “as human beings, not animals.”
Following Mr. Bhasker, Mr. Tamil Selvam, Chairman of the ANTCC’s SIR Committee, also addressed the media. He alleged that the Election Commission’s recent claim of 98.54% distribution of forms in the islands was “incorrect and misleading.” According to reports gathered by Congress teams during visits to various wards and panchayats, actual distribution in many municipal wards has not crossed 60%, and hundreds of forms remain with BLOs, yet to be delivered.
Mr. Selvam further noted that even among the forms distributed, less than half have been returned, leaving only one week before the December 4 deadline. He warned that the SIR exercise in municipal areas is “on the verge of failure” unless immediate corrective steps are taken.
The ANTCC leaders also criticized the administration for inadequate publicity and awareness among the public, despite the critical nature of the voter-list revision. They emphasized that many residents were either unaware or too busy to engage with BLOs, resulting in incomplete enumeration.
They also highlighted that the SIR workload has paralyzed multiple departments, as staff from education, revenue, municipal and other departments are fully occupied with SIR duties, causing major public service disruptions.
Both leaders appealed to the Election Commission to grant at least a 15-day extension, warning that nearly 20% of eligible voters in the municipal area may be left out if the process continues under current timelines.
The leaders concluded by saying their team and the TSG Foundation would offer psychological and practical support to stressed BLOs, urging them to reach out if needed.
