Thiruvananthapuram | Kerala Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Rathan Khelkar on Monday said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is progressing effectively and appealed to everyone to ensure the successful completion of the exercise as per the scheduled timelines.
Over 96 per cent of the enumeration forms have already been distributed owing to the dedicated and committed efforts of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across the State, the official noted in a statement.
The CEO's office issued the statement on the day the Left government in the state approached the Supreme Court seeking a direction to postpone the SIR.
The statement also assumed significance at a time when Kerala is witnessing an intense row over the suicide of a BLO allegedly due to work strain.
Aneesh George(44), a BLO in Payyannur, was found hanging at his home on Sunday.
Family members and locals have alleged that he took the extreme step because of work-related pressure linked to the SIR exercise.
The CEO's office, in the statement, said to further ensure smooth and timely completion of the remaining stages, the district administrations have taken comprehensive measures to facilitate the BLOs in collecting the filled forms.
These include setting up special camps, extending local logistical support, and establishing centres equipped with technical and infrastructure facilities to assist BLOs in the digitisation of forms in a time-bound manner.
Recognised political parties are also being encouraged to participate actively in the process, it said.
The political parties are being urged to nominate additional Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and establish help desks for collecting filled forms from voters, as permitted under the guidelines of the Election Commission of India.
Such initiatives will further ease the workload of BLOs and support efficient completion of the exercise.
"The SIR process is progressing effectively as a collective team effort, with coordinated support from election machinery, district officials, and field staff, ensuring that no BLO or election official faces any hardship during the operations," the CEO added.
Various trade unions of state government employees, including the Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers and the Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organisations, recently held protests at district collectorates demanding that authorities refrain from exerting excessive pressure on BLOs and consider postponing the SIR.