Pune: Teachers across Maharashtra are facing huge pressure doing their duty for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Maharashtra State Primary Teachers’ Association has urged the education department to intervene as thousands working as booth-level officers are balancing classroom work with SIR duties.Wardha schoolteacher Smita Motewar, suffered serious injuries in a road accident while travelling for SIR-related work on Wednesday. The association said teachers have been served show-cause notices, threatened with disciplinary action over delays beyond their control, and forced to work late into the night to meet tight deadlines. It also referred to reported instances of teachers suffering heart attacks, attempting suicide and experiencing severe mental stress during the exercise.The association said that verification work depended on voters submitting documents and cannot be completed through administrative pressure alone, and urged govt to ensure that election duties do not come at the cost of teachers’ health and safety.The association’s president Vijay Kombe said the burden of non-teaching work on teachers is unsustainable. “Teachers are struggling with SIR, TET-related responsibilities and routine school work. There are reports of heart attacks, brain strokes, accidents and even suicides linked to mounting stress. Yet, they are assigned one survey after another, from literacy drives to election duties and other government assignments, affecting both their well-being and classroom teaching. Govt must prioritise students’ education and protect teachers from excessive non- academic responsibilities,” he said. Officials have not released any consolidated data on such cases.Suresh Bhagat, a govt school teacher from Daund, said, “Since the SIR exercise began, my day starts before school and often ends close to midnight. We teach during school hours and spend the rest of the day collecting voters’ details, digitising forms and following up with families. My blood pressure has shot up over the past few days, and my doctor has advised me to reduce stress, but that is not possible right now.”Varsha Mankar, a teacher from Marathwada, said she is diabetic and her field visits combined with school work, have made it difficult to manage her health. “There are days when I skip meals or medicines because we are trying to meet deadlines. The fear of notices or disciplinary action adds to our anxiety.”According to the association, some teachers appointed as BLOs received show-cause notices and warnings over delays in completing verification work, even though progress often depends on voters submitting the documents. The association claimed that teachers have reported working late into the night on digitisation while continuing with regular school hours and SIR fieldwork.The Election Commission has set Aug 8 as the deadline for the SIR exercise. However, teachers’ representatives said that officials in several areas have set earlier internal targets, increasing pressure on them to complete verification within shorter timelines.Palghar teacher Varsha Raut said she was committed to completing her SIR work. “But, routine teaching with other govt assignments simultaneously is taking a physical and mental toll on us. Many colleagues are suffering from chronic illnesses, sleep deprivation and stress-related problems. We want realistic timelines and some consideration for our health,” she added.Teachers’ leaders have urged the administration to take a more practical approach, arguing that verification work cannot be completed without the cooperation of voters. They have sought relief from what they describe as excessive monitoring and punitive action, and have requested that teachers be allowed to complete their work without fear of disciplinary action. Education department officials have yet to issue a detailed response to the representation.
