Mumbai: BJP Corporator Makarand Narwekar has urged the BMC to exempt civic field staff from Special Intensive Revision (SIR) duty to ensure public safety during the ongoing monsoon season.
In a letter addressed to BMC Commissioner Ashwini Bhide, he highlighted that across Mumbai’s 24 administrative wards hundreds of municipal employees, including around 50 personnel from A Ward alone, have been pulled from their regular duties. They are currently requisitioned as Booth Level Officers (BLOs) for ongoing SIR and voter list verification drive.
Narwekar, who is the corporator from Colaba, emphasized that door-to-door voter verification during heavy downpours creates a dangerous conflict of priorities, adding that field staff are needed on the ground to manage severe monsoon challenges like making sure that dewatering pumps in chronic flooding spots are working, coordinating with public representatives ward disaster management cells, and maintaining vigilance to prevent public hazards.
"Pulling essential personnel for electoral tasks weakens Mumbai’s emergency response mechanisms. Additionally, the threat of administrative action has caused immense distress among employees trying to balance dual emergency workloads. Hence I urge the administration to consult with the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, S. Chockalingam, to temporarily halt the deployment of active ward staff," Narwekar said.
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