Poor mobile network hampers SIR work in MP:BLOs climb forests, hilltops and watchtowers to upload data, facing wildlife threats in remote villages

Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Madhya Pradesh are facing severe mobile network problems. Many are climbing makeshift watchtowers, trekking through dense forests, and scaling hilltops to upload voter data. Some officers are even entering wildlife-prone zones, risking animal attacks, to complete government-mandated digitisation work. Regarding the network problems faced by Booth Level Officers (BLO), Dainik Bhaskar’s team reached the forest villages of Narri, Pipal Tola, and Barasel, located 90 km from Narmadapuram district, on Tuesday. The team spent 4 hours with the BLOs here. They learned from them what kind of risks BLOs are taking to conduct the SIR survey. Read the full report… Forced to work outside huts, on Machans, and hilltops Weak network forces BLO to work outside a voter’s hut In Narri village, BLO Nandlal Iwane had to sit outside a voter’s hut to manually write details because the mobile network was too weak to upload data. Only after walking nearly 200 meters near a forest outpost did he find a functional mobile signal. BLO climbs Machan in a field to upload data In Peepal Kota, BLO Ajay Uike was found sitting on a wooden machan (watchtower) in a farm, using it as his digital workspace because it offered the only mobile network in the area.
He said BSNL services were down for a week, forcing him to rely on sporadic Jio signals. BLO treks into forest hill amid wildlife threat In Barasel village, near the Betul border, BLO and local teacher Lakhanlal Yadav climbs a forest hill—2.5 km from the village—where wild animals are frequently spotted, just to upload voter forms.
A single online form that normally takes 40–60 seconds is taking 20–25 minutes due to poor connectivity. Now read what problems BLOs are facing Bhaskar team accompanies BLOs for four hours A Dainik Bhaskar team visited forest villages Narri, Peepal Tola, and Barasel—90 km from Narmadapuram—to assess network challenges firsthand. BLOs shared how delays, pressure, and network failures are affecting SIR survey work. Massive voter digitisation drive underway The SIR work began on 4 November across MP’s 230 Assembly constituencies.
BLOs must visit each household three times to verify or update voter information. Key SIR numbers BLOs report immense workload, physical strain, and growing health issues due to the pressure of deadlines. Network crisis in many villages Mobile networks remain poor or non-existent across several villages in Narmadapuram, Seoni Malwa, Pipariya, Sohagpur, and Kesla.
Even though BSNL installed 4G towers in 500 network-dark villages, connectivity issues persist—often even near the towers themselves. Residents report BSNL services staying offline for days, leaving BLOs unable to upload voter data on-site. BLOs filling offline forms, uploading data from signal spots Due to network failures, BLOs are completing offline forms during house visits and later traveling—sometimes several kilometers—to areas with better connectivity to upload data. Seven BLOs have died in MP within 10 days A series of tragic incidents involving BLOs has raised questions about workload and pressure during the SIR drive: