KARIMNAGAR: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls say that deployment of sanitation workers has done little to reduce their workload, as most of them are not trained to assist with form filling or online data entry.
Although sanitation workers have been deployed in some areas to support the exercise, BLOs said their role is largely limited to carrying forms during field visits.
“Most of them are unable to help with form filling or online data entry due to lack of training and digital literacy. We need personnel who can actively assist in the verification and data entry process,” a BLO said on condition of anonymity.
With the deadline for the exercise fast approaching, BLOs said they are struggling to complete the work because of mounting workload, technical issues and inadequate manpower.
Several BLOs said a large number of forms are yet to be collected, while in many areas the online data entry process has either not begun or is progressing slowly. They said creating awareness among voters, conducting door-to-door inquiries and assisting people in filling the prescribed forms takes up considerable time.
The online process has also been affected by frequent network issues. Searching for voters’ serial numbers in the electoral roll often takes time because of poor connectivity. In addition, some newly enrolled voters are yet to receive the required application forms, further delaying the exercise.
BLOs have appealed to the authorities to provide trained support staff to expedite the SIR process. Meanwhile, election authorities are keeping the pressure on BLOs to complete the collection of forms from all eligible voters and ensure that they are digitised within the stipulated timeframe.