Kerala BLO's Tragic Death: No Link to Electoral Roll Revision, Says Kannur Official

Image Source: Internet

A school employee and Booth Level Officer (BLO) in Kerala's Kannur district was found dead on Sunday morning, sparking concerns about the impact of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll. However, a senior district official has clarified that there is no evidence linking the death to the ongoing SIR exercise. According to the official, the BLO had been struggling with the distribution of enumeration forms for a booth in the Payyannur assembly seat. Despite having trained for the SIR exercise, which began on November 4, the BLO was reportedly overwhelmed by the task. His father claimed that his son had been working late into the night and had found it challenging to meet the deadline. However, an investigation by the Peringome police station found no external injuries, signs of struggle, or suicide note. Kannur district collector K Vijayan stated that the BLO's progress was in line with district and constituency averages, and that a Village Field Assistant was assigned to assist him on November 15. Electoral officials also denied any pressure or adverse instructions being issued to BLOs. The police investigation is still ongoing, but so far, no link has been established between the SIR duties and the BLO's death. The incident has sparked a statewide protest by BLOs, who claim they have been given unrealistic targets. The Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers and the Teachers Service Organisation Protest Committee have expressed support for the protesting BLOs, stating that the targets set for them are humanly impossible to achieve.