THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: (Nov 16) The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala is expected to face significant disruption on Monday as Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) across the state plan a complete work boycott, a joint body of state government employees and teachers announced.
The statewide boycott was declared by the Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers, the Joint Committee of Teacher Service Organisations, and the Kerala NGO Association. This action follows the alleged suicide of a BLO in Kannur district on Sunday, which unions claim was caused by severe work pressure related to the SIR exercise.
The deceased officer, identified as Aneesh George from Payyannur, Kannur, was reportedly under immense strain due to the high targets and unrealistic deadlines imposed by the Election Commission for the intensive revision process.
In a joint statement, the trade unions alleged that the Election Commission refused to postpone the SIR despite demands from various service organizations, imposing an “unrealistic workload” that is pushing BLOs towards mental distress. The unions confirmed that BLOs would abstain from work on Monday and also organize joint protest marches at the offices of the Chief Electoral Officer and all district collectorates. (PTI) A school employee serving as a Booth-Level Officer (BLO) in Kannur district was found dead by suicide at his residence on Sunday. The family and local residents allege that the officer, Aneesh George (44), took the extreme step due to overwhelming pressure related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls.
Police reported that George, who was a peon at a government school in Payyannur, was found hanging in his house. According to his family, he had been under “considerable mental stress” and was reportedly working late into the night to meet the demanding targets for distributing and collecting enumeration forms for the SIR exercise.
Protest and Official Reactions
The death immediately sparked outrage among government employee unions:
Work Boycott: Major organisations, including the Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers, announced a statewide boycott of all BLO duties on Monday, November 17, demanding accountability for the deceased officer’s stress.
Political Reaction: Opposition leaders and the ruling CPI(M) called for the Election Commission to immediately halt the SIR process until after the upcoming local body elections, alleging that the unreasonable workload was pushing ground staff to the brink.
Official Response: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala, Rathan U Kelkar, expressed condolences and sought a detailed report from the Kannur District Collector. However, the CEO noted that the office had not received any formal complaints about work pressure from BLOs and maintained that officers were only assigned SIR duties for 31 days.
Collector’s Statement: The Kannur District Collector, Arun K. Vijayan, stated that initial administrative inquiries indicated George’s work was progressing satisfactorily and that no undue pressure was being exerted on him. Police have registered a case of unnatural death and the investigation is ongoing. (TNIE)
For more details: Navamalayalam.com
