Heavy workload triggers sleepless nights for thousands of BLOs, several hospitalised

The SIR voter-mapping exercise in Gujarat has placed significant strain on the 50,963 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) involved, most of whom are schoolteachers.

Reports indicate widespread complaints of sleeplessness due to extended working hours, night-long data entry, and frequent travel for field verification.

Several BLOs have reported health issues linked to lack of rest, with field officers stating that work often continues until 2 am, followed by early-morning assignments. Slow servers, delayed public response, and heavy workloads have further added to the pressure.

Rural areas are progressing faster than urban zones, where verification is slower, according to BLOs.

District reports suggest multiple BLOs have been hospitalised due to exhaustion. Supervisors note that while rural residents generally cooperate during verification, officers in urban areas face delays as many residents treat the exercise as routine government work.