West Bengal BLO Found Dead Amid Special Intensive Revision Work Pressure: 28 Lives Lost in Election Exercise

A woman serving as a Booth Level Officer (BLO) was discovered deceased in West Bengal's Nadia on Saturday, with her family stating that she was experiencing immense work pressure due to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.

54-year-old Rinku Tarafdar, who taught at Bangali Swami Vivekananda School, was found hanging in her room at her Krishnanagar residence. A note found in the room stated, "If I cannot do the BLO work, administrative pressure will come. It is not possible for me to take it."

Tarafdar's brother-in-law informed NDTV that she had been under mental strain since receiving the BLO assignment. "She never shared the kind of pressure she was in. But we were told she wanted to leave her job," he explained.

On Wednesday, another booth-level officer in Jalpaiguri district was discovered hanging, with family members attributing her death to "unbearable SIR work pressure."

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has called upon Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar to suspend the ongoing SIR in Bengal. In a Thursday letter to the CEC, she emphasized that the continuous "unplanned and coercive drive" would risk more lives and compromise the legitimacy of the process.

"28 people have already lost their lives since SIR began - some due to fear and uncertainty, others due to stress and overload," Banerjee stated in a post on X.

Helplines Vandrevala Foundation for Mental Health 9999666555 or help@vandrevalafoundation.com TISS iCall 022-25521111 (Monday-Saturday: 8 am to 10 pm) (If you need support or know someone who does, please reach out to your nearest mental health specialist.)