BLO attempts suicide by jumping into Ganges, cites work pressure due to SIR

Kolkata: A booth-level officer (BLO) allegedly attempted suicide by jumping into the Ganges from a passenger launch at Serampore in Hooghly on Saturday morning, claiming he was unable to cope with the workload related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. He was rescued by launch workers and taken to Serampore hospital by police. His condition has been reported to be stable.

The incident occurred around 11.30 am when the launch was travelling from Serampore ferry ghat to Barrackpore. Ferry staff said the man suddenly leapt into the river midstream. Crew members pulled him out and informed the police.

The BLO, Mohammad Kayamuddin, a resident of Titagarh, is the teacher-in-charge of Kanchrapara B N High School and was assigned SIR duties. His booth has 1,245 voters. He left behind a bag containing SIR documents and his mobile phone on the launch before jumping.

After being rescued, Kayamuddin told police he had been struggling to complete the digitisation and upload of forms. He claimed he was not proficient in digital work and had been facing difficulties for several days despite assistance from officials.

A ferry worker, Mohammad Bablu said they acted immediately after seeing the passenger jump and informed the police and his family.

Santosh Kumar Singh, Serampore town president of the Trinamool Congress, alleged that the hurried implementation of the SIR was causing harassment and mental stress among officials. He claimed that voters were being called for hearings despite the completion of mapping and blamed the BJP for the situation. Police are conducting further investigation into the matter.