A booth-level officer was found hanging in Moradabad on Sunday with a purported suicide note blaming work pressure, while another died in hospital amid allegations that she was set a steep target despite her poor health.
“I wanted to live but felt helpless and afraid. I’m unable to complete my SIR target and am living in tension...,” the suicide note left behind by Sarvesh Singh, 46, said.
Two other BLOs in Uttar Pradesh had committed suicide last week, their families alleging deadline pressure. Many BLOs claim their superiors have threatened action if they fail to complete their assignments on time.
Singh was an assistant teacher at the Composite School in Jahidpur-Sikampur, 360km northwest of Lucknow, and lived in the same area.
“He was found hanging from the ceiling at his home on Sunday morning. We have found a suicide note,” Moradabad superintendent of police Kunwar Akash Singh said.
Shobha Rani, 56, an Anganwadi worker from Badwan village in Bijnor district, died after a cardiac arrest at a Moradabad hospital on Sunday morning.
“She was diabetic and her health was not good. We had informed the officers in writing about her health but still they posted her as a BLO,” her husband Kripal Saini told reporters.
He said his wife’s superiors had threatened punishment if she failed to enter the data of at least half the voters from her assigned booth in Bijnor.
“She woke up early on Saturday and went to the booth office to enter the data from the enumeration forms she had collected, and then visit voters to collect more forms. Her health worsened around 10am,” Saini said.
He said a local hospital referred her to a Moradabad hospital, where she suffered a cardiac arrest and died.
Shobha Rani’s son, who was to marry this week, said she had been assigned 1,003 voters and had entered the data from 345 forms.
Vimal Chaubey, Bijnor district project officer who visited the Saini home to express condolences, said: “There is no pressure on the BLOs. Shobha Rani was diabetic and had other health complications.”
Seeking anonymity, some BLOs in Bijnor said district electoral officer Jasjit Kaur had three days ago warned that FIRs would be registered against BLOs who failed to complete 50 per cent of their data entry assignment by November 29.
Kaur was, however, quoted as telling local reporters: “We have a target to complete but that doesn’t mean (we are) mounting pressure on anybody to work beyond their capacity.”
Sarvesh Kumar Gangwar, 47, a BLO, had died after a heart attack at a primary school in Pardhaul village of Bareilly district on November 27. His family alleged that senior administrative officers had forced him to work overtime.
BLOs Sudhir Kumar of Fatehpur and Vipin Kumar Yadav of Gonda committed suicide on November 25.
The suicide note of BLO Sarvesh Singh, the Moradabad schoolteacher, said: “Lots of love to my students…. Concentrate on your studies. I’m in pain. I’m unable to console my heart that I couldn’t teach you over the last few days.”
Death in Rajasthan
A 42-year-old BLO engaged in the SIR collapsed at his home and died, police on Sunday said.
Anuj Garg collapsed late on Saturday night while uploading voter data. His family alleged he had been working under extreme pressure, police said.
Anuj was posted as a BLO in Dholpur city’s Gaushala sector. He fell on the ground at home in Pratap Vihar Colony, minutes after asking for tea, they said.
His sister, Vandana Garg, said that Anuj had been working till late every night due to heavy workload. “He was uploading voter forms even that night. He asked for tea, but before he could drink it, he collapsed,” she said.
The family rushed him to the district hospital, where doctors declared him dead on arrival, Vandana said.
On Sunday morning, Nihalganj police and district medical officer Samerveer Singh visited Anuj’s house to record statements. The post-mortem was conducted later in the day.
Anuj was a teacher at the Government Senior Secondary School, Bara, and had joined service in 2012.