SIR tragedy: Bengal BLO dies of brain stroke under pressure to distribute enumeration forms

Kolkata, Nov 9 (IANS) A woman Booth Level Officer (BLO) has died during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal, the police said on Sunday.

The family of the deceased claimed that she died of brain stroke due to work pressure.

The incident took place at Memari in East Burdwan district.

The deceased has been identified as Namita Hansda.

She was an Anganwadi worker by profession.

She was working as a BLO at booth number 278 of Chowk Balrampur in Memari.

She suffered a brain stroke on Saturday night following a tiring day of door-to-door visits to distribute enumeration forms.

Following the health deterioration, the victim was taken to the Kalna Sub-divisional hospital for treatment and later died at the hospital.

The deceased's husband, Madhav Hansda, claimed that she was constantly under pressure to distribute enumeration forms.

She was mentally devastated due to work pressure.

The victim's husband said, "Every day she was being told that she has to distribute more and more enumeration forms. She was very stressed about all this. She was distributing forms till night. On Saturday, she suffered a brain stroke while working. She died later that night."

Commenting on the death of the BLO, East Burdwan District Magistrate Ayesha Rani said, "I have received the news of the incident. Those who are sick are excluded from the BLO duty. I am looking into the matter."

Swapan Mandal, a polling worker and BLO Unity Platform secretary, has written to the West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) office demanding a compensation of Rs 50 lakh for Namita's family.

The Election Commission will distribute the enumeration forms as part of SIR exercise till December 4.

During this phase, the BLOs will go door-to-door before the voters.

The Election Commission has started the SIR exercise using the 2002 voter list as an 'index' as it was the last time a revision of West Bengal's electoral rolls was done.

Forms containing various information will also be submitted by December 4, following which the primary draft voter list will be published on December 9.

--IANS

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