In a recent letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has requested the SIR exercise in the state to be paused. In the letter, she alleges that the current process of Special Intensive Revision going on in the state is ‘unplanned’ and ‘coercive’ which is risking the safety of citizens and EC officials at risk.

An excerpt from her letter read, “The manner in which this exercise is being forced upon officials and citizens is not only unplanned and chaotic, but also dangerous. The absence of even basic preparedness, adequate planning or clear communication has crippled the process from day one.”

She further added that the situation has reached an ‘alarming’ and ‘dangerous’ stage compelling her to write about the letter.

Mamata Banerjee asserted that the entire Special Intensive Revision (SIR) initiative is fundamentally flawed due to "critical gaps" in personnel training, vague rules regarding required paperwork, and the fact that Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) cannot realistically meet citizens during their working hours.

Describing the "human cost" of the SIR's poor management as "unbearable," she referred to the tragic death by suicide of an anganwadi worker in Mal, Jalpaiguri, who was a BLO reportedly overwhelmed by SIR-related stress, adding that other lives have been lost since the process began. In the wake of such issues, Banerjee argued in favour of prompt and corrective measures to fix the situation.