A Booth Level Officer (BLO) died of cardiac arrest, allegedly due to the workload of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR), in West Bengal’s Murshidabad district.
The BLO died on Thursday night and was identified as Zakir Hossain, a teacher in a local state-run primary school.
Another BLO, Basudev Pramanik, is admitted in a hospital in Diamond Harbour, owing to the extensive workload of the SIR process. He is currently undergoing treatment at a local hospital, said local sources.
Total tragic cases related to SIR in the state is now 60, including 19 BLOs.
Out of the above figure, 41 common people have been affected with 35 deaths and six getting medical attention.
Zakir Hossain’s family members claimed that he was under “tremendous pressure” from the SIR exercise and the teaching assignment.
The pressure on him intensified as the authorities of the state-run primary school, where he was attached, refused to relieve him, adding to his woes.
According to the family members, Hossian complained of acute cardiac pain on Thursday afternoon, following which he was rushed to a local hospital immediately. However, all efforts of the doctors to bring him out of the crisis failed ultimately, and he expired on Thursday night.
This is the fourth BLO death, reportedly due to SIR-related work pressure, that has been reported from West Bengal since the revision exercise started on 4 November.
Meanwhile, Trinamul Congress national general secretary Abhishek Banerjee has posted in his X handle his reaction to ECI’s claim that they have addressed TMC claims. “The Election Commission is deliberately planting selective leaks to falsely claim that they have provided a point-by-point rebuttal to the issues raised by the AITC delegation today. These assertions are not just misleading, they are OUTRIGHT LIES. If the EC truly has nothing to hide and actually believes in transparency, then instead of hiding behind motivated leaks, it must immediately release the full CCTV footage and every piece of evidence it claims to possess. Anything less only exposes their bad faith and raises serious questions about their intent.
“And let me add this clearly: A few hours will always be too short , take as many days as you want to answer the five basic questions we placed before you.
“We have ENOUGH DIGITAL EVIDENCE to prove how your narrative is being distorted through planted, fabricated leaks. So, THINK TWICE before you choose to pick a fight with West Bengal and @AITCofficial.
“I understand your frustration, Mr. SIR, but facts do not bend to convenience. If energy is available for planting stories, surely it can be redirected to answering the five simple questions. Your Time starts NOW!” wrote Abhishek.