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Four BLOs die amid mounting pressure during electoral revision drive in UP

LUCKNOW: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on the forefront of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise are facing severe stress and mounting pressure in Uttar Pradesh, with four deaths reported so far and several officers suffering from anxiety-related issues, according to their families and colleagues. Like in other parts of the country, BLOs running the SIR in Uttar Pradesh are facing hardships. So far, four of them have lost their lives. The cause of death has been attributed by their families to heavy workload and alleged official pressure. While Sudhir Kumar, 35, a lekhpal, died by suicide at his home in Bindki, Fatehpur district, on Tuesday, just a day before his marriage, Sarvesh Kumar Gangwar, 47, a primary school teacher deployed as a BLO, collapsed while on duty on Wednesday. The families of both Sudhir Kumar and Gangwar attributed their deaths to alleged work pressure linked to the SIR. Sudhir Kumar was scheduled to get married on Wednesday. His relatives alleged that he was threatened with dismissal from service for not completing the SIR work as a supervisor in time. Police have filed an FIR against senior officials on abetment charges. According to his family sources, Sudhir, a Dalit, was the only earning member of the family. He used to sell eggs and also worked as a MNREGA worker before securing the lekhpals job in 2024 by clearing the state-level examination conducted by the subordinate service commission after years of hard work. He was still on probation. On Wednesday, the Lekhpal Association staged a protest and did not allow the police and administration to take the body for a post-mortem examination until a case was registered. It also announced a boycott of SIR work from Thursday unless action was taken against those responsible for the death. Meanwhile, Hemant Kumar Mishra, SHO of Bindki police station, confirmed the registration of an FIR against Shivram, the kanungo (revenue officer), and other unnamed officials on charges of abetment to suicide. The body was eventually sent for post-mortem on Wednesday afternoon. District Secretary of the Lekhpal Association, Ravendra, told media persons that Sudhir, a resident of Khajuha village, was to get married on 26 November. His marriage had been fixed long before his appointment as a supervisor for the SIR task. He said Sudhir had applied for leave citing his wedding, but he was never informed whether the leave was sanctioned. According to association members, a meeting was convened by the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), a sub-divisional magistrate-rank officer, for all staff engaged in the SIR exercise on Sunday. Sudhir, busy with wedding preparations, failed to attend it. Annoyed by this, the ERO said during the meeting that he was recommending Sudhirs suspension. In her complaint to the police, Sudhirs sister Amrita said he had been upset since Sunday after getting information about his alleged suspension. Around 6 a.m. on Tuesday, she alleged that Shivram reached their home and called Sudhir. He told her brother to complete the pending SIR work within the given time, or he would be dismissed from service as instructed by senior officers. She said Sudhir told him he was caught up with the wedding and would complete the work soon after the rituals were over. However, Shivram was not ready to listen and kept threatening him, Amrita said. Upset by the alleged threats and coercion, Sudhir Kumar went inside and hanged himself even as Shivram was standing outside. Relatives, busy with wedding arrangements, noticed Sudhirs absence after an hour. Sources claimed that the family had initially named the ERO as the prime accused and the kanungo as the co-accused in their complaint, but the police and administration made them change it, leaving only the kanungo named. However, the Additional Superintendent of Police, Fatehpur, denied the allegation. Similarly, Sarvesh Kumar Gangwar, a resident of Karmachari Nagar in Bareilly and posted as a primary school teacher in Pardhauli village, collapsed inside the school while on duty. He was rushed to a hospital where doctors declared him dead. The primary school teacher was deployed as a BLO. His family alleged that immense pressure of work due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision cost him his life. His elder brother, Yogesh Gangwar, also a teacher and currently posted as a supervisor in the same exercise, said Sarvesh was under immense pressure. I had met him the day before. He told me he was stressed due to the BLO duty. Moreover, two more BLOs, one in Gonda and the other in Lucknow, died due to SIR pressure. While the Gonda teacher consumed poison to end his life, the BLO in Lucknow suffered a brain haemorrhage. On the other hand, while the Gautam Budh Nagar administration claims the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls has picked up with expanded ground support, BLOs working in Noida and Greater Noida highlight a different reality marked by rising workload, long hours of field movement and growing uncertainty after FIRs were lodged against BLO staff earlier this month. BLOs say the situation on the ground is challenging, especially in densely populated areas where they may have to revisit the same tower three or four times because residents are travelling, flats are locked or documents are not ready. Some shared their constant anxiety about the possibility of harsh action. They claim there is a constant fear of making a small mistake, One missed flat, one untraced address and the disciplinary action follows. The frontline workers describe the environment as tense and high-pressure. (If you are having suicidal thoughts, or are worried about a friend or need emotional support, someone is always there to listen. Call Sneha Foundation - 04424640050, Tele Manas - 14416 (available 24x7) or iCall, the Tata Institute of Social Sciences' helpline - 02225521111, which is available Monday to Saturday from 8 am to 10 pm.)

27 Nov 2025 10:13 pm