After Nadia BLO’s suicide, colleagues to take to streets
Times of India | 24 November 2025
Kolkata: A section of booth level officers (BLOs) will take to the streets on Monday to raise their voice against what they described as crushing workload because of the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and the impossible deadline set by the Election Commission for the collection and digitization of enumeration forms.
The announcement by BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee came a day after a BLO in Nadia died allegedly by suicide, with her family saying SIR stress had forced Rinku Tarafdar to take her life.
BLOs in Kolkata and several districts said the roll revision had become a "pressure cooker" exercise marked by punishing targets, fear of action for missing deadlines and growing cases of exhaustion, illness and mental strain. They said they were also encountering digital hurdles and political pressure.
Members of BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee said they would march from College Street to the poll panel's office at BBD Bag, where they plan to hold a sit-in.
Maidul Islam, convener of the committee, said, "This is an apolitical platform formed to protect the interests of teachers, para-teachers and anganwadi workers who have been appointed as BLOs and are performing their duties under extreme pressure." Another organisation of BLOs, Votekarmi O BLO Aikya Mancha, will not join the rally.
"Every WhatsApp message reads like a threat — finish 100 forms, upload by night, or explain in writing," said a BLO from Baruipur.
A BLO from Jadavpur said: "It feels like we are being forced to sprint the entire length of a marathon. Every morning, I start house visits at 7 am. By the time I finish data uploads, it's past midnight. I have been doing this without break since the start of this month. It's taking a toll on my health."
The push to upload data real-time has compounded the strain, especially in semi-urban and rural areas where many BLOs lack smartphones or a stable internet.Several BLOs said they had to climb to the rooftop or walk to a roadside spot late at night in search of internet connectivity strong enough to upload forms by the daily deadline.A BLO in Howrah said it was taking around 20-25 minutes to upload each form. "I am under immense stress as too many forms are being collected every day but not all could be uploaded on time. I am only sleeping between midnight and 2.30am. I am waking up early to upload forms as the server seems a little faster then," he said.
Apart from long hours, political pressure is adding to the toll. BLOs said that in politically polarised districts, party workers and booth level agents were calling them till late into the night, making impossible demands and accusing BLOs of bias if their demands were not met.
Disciplinary action for missing deadlines is yet another cause of the BLOs' agony. In the Beleghata assembly constituency, seven BLOs have been issued show-cause notices for slow digitisation of forms and warned of action even after they flagged connectivity and workload issues.
A BLO from Behala said she developed chest pain after working three consecutive nights: "My family insisted I rest. But what if I miss a deadline? What if they suspend me?"
A BLO from north Kolkata said: "We're serving the nation, but officials must understand we have families, too. Since the SIR began, I haven't been able to cook or rest—my phone rings constantly. As my personal number has been shared with over 900 voters, I've lost all privacy."
A BLO from the Cossipore-Belgachhia constituency said, "I'm not tech-savvy, so digitisation of forms has become a nightmare. Any mistake could lead to punitive action. I've repeatedly asked Election Commission to relieve me of my responsibility, but there has been no response yet."
A viral video shows a BLO from Pandua, in Hooghly, crying relentlessly, saying she can't handle the pressure any more. In at least two districts, officers who fell ill reportedly continued uploading forms from hospital beds to avoid disciplinary action.
"Since Nov 1, I have been working since morning till 3am. I fell sick and had to be admitted to hospital. But I kept uploading forms even from the hospital bed," a BLO from Chopra, in North Dinajpur, said.