9 months ago
BLOs die amid allegations of work pressure
Two Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) in different states have faced tragic outcomes while working on voter list revisions.
In Uttar Pradesh, a 46-year-old BLO named Sarvesh Singh died by suicide, leaving a note blaming work pressure.
Another BLO in Uttar Pradesh, a 56-year-old woman named Shobha Rani, died of a cardiac arrest.
Her family mentioned that she was working late into the night uploading forms and was also preparing for their son's wedding, which added to her stress.
In Rajasthan, a 42-year-old BLO named Anuj Garg collapsed and died at his home while uploading voter data.
His family alleged that he had been working under extreme pressure.
Meanwhile, in Uttar Pradesh, 28 BLOs were accused of negligence for completing less than 25% of their assigned revision work.
Officials stated there was no work-related pressure on the BLOs, but families of the deceased BLOs believe their deaths were due to work-related stress.
Sarvesh Singh, a 46-year-old BLO in Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh, died by suicide, leaving a note blaming work pressure.
Shobha Rani, a 56-year-old BLO in Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh, died of a cardiac arrest while working on voter data entry.
Anuj Garg, a 42-year-old BLO in Dholpur, Rajasthan, collapsed and died at his home while uploading voter data.
Families of all three BLOs allege extreme work pressure and heavy workloads contributed to their deaths.
28 BLOs in Uttar Pradesh were accused of negligence for completing less than 25% of their assigned revision work.
- Who
- Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) in Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan
- What
- Deaths and allegations of negligence during voter list revision
- Where
- Dholpur, Rajasthan and Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh
- When
- Late Saturday night (Rajasthan), December 1 (Sunday) (Uttar Pradesh)
- Why
- Alleged work pressure and heavy workloads, with officials attributing deaths to personal health issues
Key facts
- Name (UP 1)
- Sarvesh Singh
- Age (UP 1)
- 46
- Occupation (UP 1)
- Booth-Level Officer (BLO) and Assistant Teacher
- Location (UP 1)
- Moradabad, Uttar Pradesh
- Cause of Death (UP 1)
- Suicide by hanging
- Date of Death (UP 1)
- December 1 (Sunday)
- Name (UP 2)
- Shobha Rani
- Age (UP 2)
- 56
- Occupation (UP 2)
- Booth-Level Officer (BLO) and Anganwadi worker
- Location (UP 2)
- Bijnor, Uttar Pradesh
- Cause of Death (UP 2)
- Cardiac arrest
- Date of Death (UP 2)
- December 1 (Sunday)
- Hospital (UP 2)
- Moradabad hospital
- Name (Rajasthan)
- Anuj Garg
- Age (Rajasthan)
- 42
- Occupation (Rajasthan)
- Booth-Level Officer (BLO) and Teacher
- Location (Rajasthan)
- Dholpur, Rajasthan
- Cause of Death (Rajasthan)
- Collapsed and died
- Date of Death (Rajasthan)
- Late Saturday night
- Hospital (Rajasthan)
- District hospital, Dholpur
- Number of BLOs Accused
- 28
- Location of Accused BLOs
- Bairia tehsil, Uttar Pradesh
- Percentage of Work Completed
- Less than 25%
- Number of Voters Assigned (Shobha Rani)
- 1,003
- Number of Voters Data Entered (Shobha Rani)
- 345
- Medical Condition (Shobha Rani)
- Diabetes
- Warning Given by District Electoral Officer
- FIRs would be registered against BLOs who failed to complete 50% of their data entry assignment by November 29
Timeline
Uttarakhand's BLA appointment rule boosted workload, fueling officer stress.
Soaring tasks in voter list revision pushed BLOs to breaking point.
Two Indian BLOs succumb to work-related stress in voter list revision.
Quotes
Abhishek Banerjee
Trinamool Congress national general secretary and Lok Sabha MP
“What the Opposition is asking for is a debate on the SIR. Is that drama? If raising the people's voice is drama, then the people will give the government a reply in the next election.”
thehansindia.com
“Around 40 people, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), died because the SIR was executed in the state without consulting stakeholders. The BLOs themselves have blamed the Election Commission of India (ECI) for these fatalities. Where is the government’s accountability?”
thehansindia.com
Election Commission of India (EC)
The Election Commission of India is the constitutional body responsible for conducting elections in the country.
“Allegations of mass exclusion unsubstantiated, vague, and politically motivated”
news18.com
“Minorities are subject to same scrutiny as everyone else”
news18.com
Sarvesh Singh
Assistant teacher and Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Uttar Pradesh's Moradabad
“Mother, please take care of my daughters. Please forgive me. I could not complete the task. I am going to take a drastic step.”
thestatesman.com
“I am in deep distress. I haven’t been able to sleep for the last 20 days. I have four young daughters. Others are able to complete the work, but I am not.”
thestatesman.com
Pramod Tiwari
Congress deputy leader in Rajya Sabha
“Over 20 BLOs have committed suicide under SIR pressure. Most recently, another BLO, Sarvesh Singh from Moradabad, committed suicide.”
thestatesman.com
“How many lives do they want to take?”
thestatesman.com
Mallikarjun Kharge
Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha
“My request to you is to allow us to discuss on SIR. It’s a very important issue, as so many people are dying.”
thestatesman.com
Sources
'Not enough time': BLO ends life in UP's Moradabad
‘I want to live but…,’ Moradabad BLO takes own life, ‘suicide note’ points to ‘insufficient time’ for SIR work
Rajasthan: Booth-level officer dies while uploading SIR data in Dholpur
BLO dies while uploading SIR data in Rajasthan
'I Want To Live...But I'm Scared': BLO Kills Self Over SIR Work Stress in UP
AAP Holds Memorial for Booth-Level Officers Who Died During Voter List Verification
'Stress' claims two more BLOs, victims' kin allege SIR deadline pressure from Election Commission
Woman BLO dies of cardiac arrest in UP’s Bijnor
BLO found dead in UP, police say he claimed SIR work stress in ‘suicide note’
'Unsubstantiated, Vague, Politically Motivated': Poll Panel On Exclusion Claims In Bengal SIR
EC’s extension of voter roll revision timeline shows exercise was launched in haste, says Opposition
'If I Had More Time...': UP Poll Official's (BLO) Last Video Before Suicide
‘I Want to Live… But I Can’t’: UP BLO’s Chilling Last Words Before Suicide
‘There is unlimited pressure’: Massive protest by BLOs outside election commission Kolkata office against SIR
Tension prevails as BJP delegation visits office of Bengal Chief Electoral Officer amid protests by BLOs
UP: Another BLO dies by suspected suicide due to alleged work pressure linked to voter list revision
Abhishek Banerjee flays PM Modi's 'drama' remark; seeks accountability on Bengal SIR deaths
‘Mother, please take care of my daughters…’: UP BLO dies by suicide allegedly over SIR pressure
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