Booth-level officers (BLO) across Kerala are preparing to refrain from their duties on Monday in reaction to the suspected suicide of a BLO near Payyanur in the Kannur district, which is thought to be connected to the considerable pressure stemming from the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
A spokesperson from the Payyanur police indicated that a 41-year-old school attendant, who acted as a BLO in the Kankol – Alappadambu panchayat, was found deceased at his home on Sunday.
The family of the deceased asserted that the BLO was undergoing substantial mental distress due to the obligations of distributing enumeration forms to every household and ensuring that the scrutiny was finalized within the timeline established by the Election Commission.
His father informed journalists on Sunday, “My son faced considerable mental trauma and stress due to the responsibilities linked to the SIR. Unfortunately, he took his own life today.”
The SIR initiative in Kerala, which is gearing up for Assembly elections next year, currently coincides with the local body elections set for December. Voting is scheduled for December 9 and 11, with the counting of votes taking place on December 13.
Political parties, including the Congress and the CPI(M), have called upon the ECI to delay the SIR until after the local body elections to reduce the pressure on government officials involved in the process and to avert a stagnation in governance. The High Court has recently instructed the State to consult the SC regarding its request to postpone the SIR.
The Action Council of State Government Teachers, the Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organizations, and the Kerala NGO Association declared that their members will not report for duty on Monday. The ECI has “imposed an unrealistic workload with high targets in a very short timeframe. This pressure is pushing BLOs towards suicide,” they remarked.
