West Bengal BLO dies of heart attack; family alleges pressure from SIR exercise

A 54-year-old booth-level officer (BLO) in West Bengal’s Malda district died of a heart attack, with his family alleging that work pressure related to the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) exercise contributed to his death.

The deceased, identified as Utpal Thakur, suffered a heart attack around 10.30 pm on Saturday and later died, family members said.

Thakur was serving as a BLO at booth number 93 in Nadapara under Chandrapara Gram Panchayat in Chanchal-II block, according to Election Commission (EC) sources. He was also a para-teacher.

Family alleges work-related stress

Family members said Thakur had been under “immense pressure” during the ongoing SIR exercise.

“Even after the voter list was published on 28 February, people kept approaching him regarding their names in the supplementary list,” a family member said.

Another relative alleged that the pressure of handling cases under the ‘under adjudication’ category contributed to the heart attack. Around 110 voters in his booth were reportedly placed in that category.

Utpal’s wife said, “My husband worked tirelessly in the SIR exercise, but could not handle work-related stress… We hope that the government will support my daughters and me.”

No police complaint has been filed so far.

Locals said residents frequently approached the BLO seeking clarification over voter list discrepancies, including deletions and pending verification.

“People don’t understand the EC’s procedures. They directly asked whether their documents were uploaded properly,” a neighbour said, adding that those whose names were deleted often sought explanations.

Scale of SIR exercise

According to official data released on 28 February, about 63.66 lakh names (8.3 per cent of the electorate) have been deleted since the SIR process began in November last year.

The total voter base in the state has reduced from around 7.66 crore to just over 7.04 crore.

Additionally, more than 60.06 lakh electors have been placed in the ‘under adjudication’ category, where their eligibility will be decided through further scrutiny.

The supplementary electoral rolls are expected to be published on Monday.

Officials have not commented on whether the BLO’s death was directly linked to work pressure, while the family’s claims remain unverified.