SIR: BLO dies in Murshidabad, work pressure alleged

Kolkata: A 58-year-old booth-level officer from West Bengal’s Murshidabad district died on Friday, triggering fresh concerns over the mounting pressure faced by officials engaged in voter list revision work. The deceased, Maya Mukhopadhyay, was a school teacher by profession and had been assigned BLO duties as part of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

According to family members, Mukhopadhyay had been under severe mental stress since taking charge of the assignment.

They claimed she was anxious about the workload and the responsibility of updating voter lists, particularly the fear of disputes arising from the deletion or correction of voters’ names. Despite having health issues, she continued to carry out the duties following official instructions, her family said.

On Friday morning, Mukhopadhyay reportedly fell ill at her residence and was rushed to a hospital, where doctors declared her dead.

The cause of death was stated to be cardiac arrest.The death has sparked political reactions, with the Trinamool Congress alleging that BLOs are being overburdened during the voter list revision process, putting their health at risk.

This is not the first such case in the state, already the death toll crossed hundred and the incident has once again brought the spotlight on the demanding nature of election-related duties and the need for better support and safeguards for grassroots-level election officials.