Another tragic incident in Gujarat has highlighted the growing toll of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll on Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
Dineshkumar Raval, 50, principal of the Government Primary Girls’ School in Sudasana village, Satlasana taluka, Mehsana district, passed away in the early hours of Friday, reportedly from a heart attack.
Members of his family and colleagues said he collapsed around 2:30 am while working on the online uploading process for the ongoing SIR exercise.
Mitesh Bhatt, president of Akhil Bhartiya Rashtriya Shaikshik Mahasangh in Gujarat, told a national daily that Raval had been working late because the server only functions at night.
Bhatt said Raval complained of uneasiness and chest pain while uploading entries around 2 am.
For context, in recent days, more than five BLOs in Gujarat are reported to have died of heart attacks.
Vibes of India has extensively reported how BLOs across India are dying under extreme stress from the SIR of electoral rolls. Long hours, impossible deadlines, and heavy workloads are taking a lethal toll.
In Gujarat, Arvindbhai Muljibhai Vadher, a teacher in Kodinar working as a BLO, died by suicide. His note to his wife cited exhaustion and mental strain from SIR duties.
Rameshbhai Parmar, 50, principal of Navapura Primary School in Kheda, reportedly died in his sleep. He had been working late at night entering data online.
Usha Indrasinh Solanki, assistant BLO at Pratap High School in Vadodara, collapsed at work and was declared dead. Her family said SIR duties had exhausted her.
Madhya Pradesh has seen similar tragedies.
‘Pressure’, the word
Further, Bhuvan Singh Chauhan, a BLO and assistant teacher in Soliya village, collapsed and died a day after suspension for alleged negligence. His daughter said he could not bear the pressure of daily targets.
Kerala’s BLO Aneesh George, 44, died by suicide. Rajasthan’s 34-year-old BLO Hariom Bairwa suffered a fatal heart attack after a stressful call from a superior.
In West Bengal, BLO Namita Hansda suffered a cerebral attack. The Chief Minister reported that 28 SIR workers had died since the exercise began. Across India, at least nine BLO deaths are confirmed, four by suicide.
The common thread is overwhelming stress. BLOs juggle teaching, household surveys, data digitization, and uploads under tight deadlines. Many work nights, skip meals, and face hostile voters. Malfunctioning apps and server issues worsen the pressure.
Women BLOs face added risks, often sent alone into unsafe areas. Families report repeated mental strain. Supervisors call at late hours demanding updates.
The system offers little support. No national protocols or emergency measures exist. Families grieve in silence. Compensation and acknowledgment are slow or absent.
Raval, the media outlet reported, had been posted at Sudasana Government Primary Girls’ School since 2001 and served as a BLO for over 15 years. Colleagues said he had completed nearly 77 per cent of verification work for his booth, which has around 800 voters.
The other two booths in Sudasana had almost 90 per cent completion. His family said he had been deprived of proper sleep since the SIR exercise began.
Govindsinh Barad, principal of the Government Primary Boys’ School in the same village, stated that Raval experienced chest pain around 2:30 am and woke up his family.
They called a local friend and rushed him to Vadnagar Civil Hospital, 32 km away, but he was declared dead. Barad added that Raval knew most villagers personally, so there was little pressure from verification work, but server issues forced him to work at night. He had reportedly been working between 1 am and 2 am for the past three to four days.
Raval is survived by his wife, a son and two daughters. His son and elder daughter are pursuing post-graduation, while his youngest daughter is in Class III. Sudasana booths 1, 2, and 3 have 1,092, 1,042, and around 800 voters, respectively.
Jaydevsinh Chavda, Aam Aadmi Party’s Mehsana district president, said that Raval’s death was caused by stress from BLO duties. He stated that Raval used to upload forms late at night, wake up early to teach, and continue BLO work, which contributed to his passing.
Chavda added that one BLO has died by suicide, over six have died of heart attacks, and more than 20 are currently hospitalised. He urged the Election Commission to extend the SIR deadline and asked the Gujarat government to provide additional staff to assist BLOs and share the online workload.
This month, another BLO, Arvindkumar Muljibhai Vadhel, a government primary school teacher in Kodinar, the Assembly constituency of Education Minister Pradyuman Vaja, allegedly died by suicide. Vadhel reportedly left a note to his wife blaming exhaustion from SIR duties.
Also Read: Two BLO Deaths Spark Outrage Over Gujarat’s Gruelling SIR Workload https://www.vibesofindia.com/two-blo-deaths-spark-outrage-over-gujarats-gruelling-sir-workload/
