Bengal SIR: Woman BLO, who suffered cerebral attack, relieved of poll duty

Kolkata: A female Booth Level Officer (BLO) in West Bengal’s Hooghly district, who suffered a cerebral attack while engaged in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) work, has been relieved of election duties, her family confirmed on Thursday.

Tapati Biswas, 60, an Anganwadi worker and BLO for Ward 19 of Konnagar Municipality, collapsed while distributing SIR forms. She sustained a head injury and was admitted to Konnagar Municipality Hospital, where doctors said the left side of her body is paralysed due to the attack.

Her husband, Prabir Biswas, alleged that excessive workload and constant pressure from higher authorities contributed to her condition.

“She was exhausted from distributing forms, scanning QR codes, and uploading data online. She barely slept and kept receiving calls to submit forms,” he said.

Serampore Sub-Divisional Officer Shambhudeep Sarkar visited the hospital and assured the family of assistance. Police officials also met the patient.

While her condition is reportedly stable, the family claims they are bearing treatment costs as the state has not provided financial support.

The incident follows the recent suicide of another female BLO in Jalpaiguri district, allegedly due to work pressure during the SIR exercise.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has criticised the Election Commission, claiming 28 deaths have occurred since the revision drive began, and urged the Commission to halt the “unplanned” process to prevent further tragedies.

IANS