60 BLOs Booked in Uttar Pradesh as Suicides Linked to SIR Workload Rise Nationwide

New Delhi: 60 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in Uttar Pradesh have been booked for failing to properly complete the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. The incident was reported in Noida, where cases have also been registered against seven supervisors. According to reports, termination notices are likely to be issued to 181 BLOs by the District Collector.

Authorities have instructed BLOs to visit households, collect required forms on time, and complete all procedures without delay. They have also been warned that failure to finish digitization work could result in cancellation of their daily wages.

There has been a sharp rise in suicides among BLOs across the country allegedly due to stress related to SIR duties. In West Bengal, two suicides were reported within the past 24 hours.

In West bengal's Nadia district, a woman officer was found hanging at her residence on Saturday morning. Family members claimed she had been under intense pressure related to SIR work. On the same day, another BLO from the same district—51-year-old schoolteacher Rinku Tarafdar—was found dead, also by hanging, at her home in Krishnanagar. She was a teacher at Bengalji Swami Vivekananda Vidya Mandir in Shobra and served as the BLO for Booth 201 of the Shobra Tui Panchayat.

Across India, at least six similar deaths have been reported recently. On Friday, a BLO in Gujarat died by suicide during the SIR drive. The deceased was Aravind Vadher, a primary school teacher from Deoli in Somnath district. His suicide note stated he was unable to cope with workload and mental stress. He was found dead inside his residence.

In Kerala, a BLO died by suicide on November 16, allegedly due to job pressure. The deceased was Aneesh George, the BLO for Booth 18 in Payyannur constituency, Kannur.