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A 35-year-old BLO from Jadavpur received more than 140 calls on her personal mobile phone, but only half of them were related to voter queries. The rest were prank calls. Another young BLO in Amherst Street is receiving blank and unsolicited calls from a single person multiple times at night.Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed for the ongoing SIR exercise said they were facing a wave of unsolicited and intrusive phone calls after the Election Commission publicly shared their mobile numbers for voter support. While the move was intended to help citizens navigate form-filing and verification procedures, many BLOs — particularly women — say the measure has spiralled into an overwhelming breach of privacy .Several officers say their phones now ring from dawn till late at night. While a significant share of callers are indeed genuine voters seeking help, many said they were also dealing with prank calls, blank calls, repeat callers, and inappropriate personal comments.“Over the weekend alone, I received more than 140 calls — only half of them were related to voter queries,” said a BLO posted in Jadavpur. Others added that the disclosure of personal numbers had resulted in their phones becoming helplines. “We want to help voters, but there must be boundaries. If I had known my number would be circulated widely, I would have shared another number,” said a BLO from Salt Lake.The constant disruption has led some officers to keep their phones switched off at certain times of the day. “As the collection drive has intensified, people keep calling to ask the same things. Flooded with calls, I have to switch off my phone while working. Some people even call late at night,” said a BLO from Beleghata.A BLO posted in south Kolkata said she planned to change her number once the SIR exercise ends. “Since the number is publicly displayed, I feel my privacy has been compromised,” she said. However, many are unable or unwilling to change their phone numbers because they are linked to essential documents, digital services, bank accounts, and official IDs. Others have reported repeated late-night calls from single numbers. “On the first night, I did not mind — it is my duty. But the calls continued unnecessarily for five days. I stopped attending once I collected his form.”Some officers are devising their own coping strategies. An elderly BLO from Sarsuna now hands her phone to a booth-level agent during field visits and only takes calls once assured they are genuine.
