Booth-level officers to boycott work tomorrow following Kannur BLO’s suicide

Thiruvananthapuram: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in Kerala is likely to be disrupted on Monday as various trade unions representing government employees announced that booth -level officers (BLOs) across the state will boycott work following the suicide of an official in Kannur.

The Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers, the Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organisations, and the Kerala NGO Association announced the statewide work boycott on Sunday. In their joint statement, the organisations said BLOs would abstain from all duties on Monday. They alleged that BLOs have been under severe pressure due to simultaneous SIR obligations and responsibilities related to the upcoming local body elections.

The protest comes after the death of Aneesh George, 44, the BLO of Booth No. 18 in Eettukudukka under the Payyannur Assembly constituency and an office attendant at Kannur AUP School. He was found hanging in his house on Sunday. Family members and local residents alleged that he took the extreme step due to work-related pressure linked to the SIR process and election duties.

The unions said that despite repeated demands from political parties and service organisations to postpone the SIR, the Election Commission refused, instead imposing what they described as an “unrealistic workload” with high targets and limited time. “This pressure is pushing BLOs toward suicide,” their statement said. They added that BLOs are being forced to work day and night to update a voters’ list originally prepared 23 years ago, without adequate time or resources.

Joint protest marches will be held at the office of the Kerala Chief Electoral Officer and at collectorates in all districts on Monday. The organisations warned of intensified agitations if immediate measures are not taken to reduce workload and address their concerns.