Hit By Rain Teacher Protests Mumbais Sir Falls Behind Officials May Seek Extension

Mumbai is likely to seek an extension of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as progress in the enumeration exercise has remained slow, with officials blaming heavy rain and resistance from teachers assigned as booth-level officers (BLOs).

Senior officials overseeing the exercise said a formal request would be sent to the Election Commission of India (ECI) only towards the end of the enumeration phase, if the pace does not improve.

“We are likely to seek an extension, but only towards the end of the exercise. Heavy rains slowed down the process, but now there will be steady progress. Based on how it goes, the request will be sent,” a senior official from the Mumbai Suburban Collector’s office, which oversees the exercise in the district’s 26 Assembly constituencies, told The Indian Express.

The slow pace is reflected in the numbers. According to data from the office of Maharashtra’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), only 33.84 per cent of enumeration forms had been distributed in Mumbai city and 25.16 per cent in Mumbai Suburban by Monday morning. Digitisation has been even slower, with only 8.1 per cent of forms uploaded in Mumbai city and 3.71 per cent in Mumbai Suburban, making both among the state’s slowest districts in digitising enumeration forms.

Across Maharashtra, 65.25 per cent of forms had been distributed by Monday morning, while 18.8 per cent had been digitised. Hingoli led the state, with 99.88 per cent of forms distributed, followed by Dhule at 97.01 per cent.

Officials attributed Mumbai’s slow progress to heavy rain during the first 10 days of the exercise and logistical challenges faced by BLOs.

“Most of the booth-level officers assigned to Dahisar are from Vasai and Virar. It was practically impossible for them to go door-to-door during the rains,” said an Electoral Registration Officer overseeing the process in the constituency. “But progress will pick up now, and a lot of the enumeration will be done over the weekend.”

Mumbai has around 10,000 BLOs, each responsible for verifying between 900 and 1,200 voters through door-to-door visits, collecting signatures and uploading the data digitally.

Teachers’ resistance slowed the process The exercise also faced resistance from teachers, many of whom were assigned BLO duties while continuing with regular school work.

Former Congress corporator Mohsin Haider, in a letter to the Andheri Tehsildar, alleged that the exercise had “come to a near standstill” in several parts of Andheri, claiming residents were unable to reach their designated BLOs. Congress MLA Amin Patel also raised the issue in the Assembly, demanding an extension to the exercise.

Following objections from teachers, the BMC and the Maharashtra Education Department reduced school hours in BMC schools and asked institutions to ease the workload of teachers assigned election duty. A protest by teachers’ unions was also held at Azad Maidan last week.

Officials said that despite the opposition, most teachers have since begun participating in the exercise.

Some, however, continue to resist. Parag Ladsheth Salgaonkar, a Class X mathematics teacher at Kalina Education Society’s Hans Bhugra High School, said he was among five teachers who received show-cause notices warning of possible legal action for failing to report for BLO duty.

“Our principal had requested that teachers be relieved because of a shortage of staff. Despite that, five of us received show-cause notices,” Salgaonkar said, adding that they had submitted their replies to the authorities.

The Chief Electoral Officer’s office, however, said it was too early to decide on an extension.

“We cannot ask for an extension in the second week of the exercise. We will review the numbers in the last week of July. If required, a proposal will be sent to the Election Commission only then. As of now, no such request has been made,” a senior CEO office official said.

Sabah Virani is a journalist with The Indian Express’ Mumbai bureau, covering infrastructure, housing and urban issues. In the realms of technical fields, she brings out human stories and the pace of change ongoing in the city. Expertise Specialised Role: Tracking infrastructure in Mumbai and the wider Mumbai Metropolitan Region (MMR), Sabah’s reporting tracks progress on various projects. From bridges to metros, she mixes technical details with resourceful information. Core coverage areas: Sabah keeps a close eye on the activities of the Mumbai Metropolitan Region Development Authority (MMRDA) and its projects across the MMR, including the metros, road projects, bridges, the bullet train, pod taxi, its role as a planning authority, and more. She also watches for developments from the Maharashtra State Road Development Corporation (MSRDC), City and Industrial Development Corporation of Maharashtra (CIDCO) and the GoM’s Urban Development department. Housing: Sabah also tracks developments in housing, particularly the workings of the Slum Rehabilitation Authority (SRA). She also keeps a keen watch on the big redevelopment projects ongoing in Mumbai, including the Dharavi Redevelopment Project, Motilal Nagar, Kamathipura, BDD Chawl redevelopment, among others. Occasionally, she reports on the environment, biodiversity, waste, arts and culture. Experience: Prior to working for the Indian Express, Sabah covered the municipality, civic issues and miscellaneous for Hindustan Times. Before that, she covered all things Mumbai for the online publication Citizen Matters. She has also worked as an editorial assistant at FiftyTwo.in. ... Read More