BLO group brings brain stroke patient in ambulance to Bengal CEO's office, protests work stress

Kolkata: An association of West Bengal's Booth Level Officers on Tuesday staged a protest outside the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) here, bringing a BLO in an ambulance claiming that he suffered a severe brain stroke due to excessive stress during SIR duties.

Debashish Das, a BLO of Booth 276 in Frasergaunge Gram Panchayat in South 24 Parganas district, reportedly collapsed last week after a sudden rise in workload during the ongoing electoral revision exercise.

Protestors brought the ailing 57-year-old BLO in an ambulance to the CEO's office, alleging that the Election Commission has "not paid a single rupee" in compensation so far.

Leaders of the BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee claimed that they are under "tremendous pressure" to meet deadlines for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

"We want adequate compensation for Debashish Das and immediate relief from the unbearable workload imposed on BLOs," a committee member said.

They cited instances where the state government had extended compensation to polling personnel who died or were injured in line of duty, arguing that similar support should be ensured for BLOs who fall ill during EC-assigned work.

"The state government provides ex-gratia for election-duty casualties. Why is the EC denying basic compensation to BLOs who suffer health damage while performing mandatory duties?" the protestors questioned.