BLO's Suicide in Kannur Triggers Huge Protest in Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Booth Level Officers (BLOs) appointed for the Special Intensive Review (SIR) state's electoral rolls will keep off their duties on Monday to protest against the suicide of their colleague Aneesh George in Ettukudukk, Kannur, who took the extreme step because of alleged huge work pressure on Sunday.

Over 35,000 BLOs have been appointed across Kerala to carry out the SIR of the state's electoral roll for Assembly elections, which are six months away.

The BLOs have alleged that they are working under extreme pressure in the state. They are being given targets that are humanly impossible to achieve in the given time period. The superiors are applying heavy pressure on the BLOs to reach the target.

The suicide of Aneesh, 44, has brought into sharp focus the extreme pressure being faced by the BLOs.

Aneesh, who was found dead at around 11 am on Sunday, was working as a peon at Kunnaru UP School. He was found hanging in his bedroom at home.

No suicide note was found in the house.

He leaves behind his wife and three school-going children.

"For the past several days, my son was under tremendous pressure. I found that he was facing a lot of stress and tension due to the work pressure associated with SIR," said Aneesh's father, George Tharayil.

The relatives told mediapersons that there was no other reason for Aneesh to resort to the extreme step. He worked past 2 am the previous night, trying to finish the enumeration forms. He was under tremendous pressure to distribute enumeration forms and complete their scrutiny within the prescribed deadline.

It may be noted that BLOs were required to visit every household and distribute forms before November 15.

Meanwhile, BLOs will not undertake any work associated with the SIR on Monday as part of the strike call given by the Action Council of State Government Employees and Teachers and the Teachers' Service Organisation. In addition, the Action Council also announced that the BLOs and members of the organisation will take out a protest march to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer in Thiruvananthapuram and district election officers across 14 districts.

The Kerala CEO Rathan Kelkar, however, denied that the BLOs were facing huge work pressure in the state. "I have not come across any such complaint. The BLOs are being assisted by other officials in carrying out the SIR duties. No impossible targets are being given to the officials," he said.

The CEO said that the circumstances that led to the suicide of Aneesh will be investigated.

CPM former district secretary M V Jaryarajan said Aneesh faced huge stress due to work overload. The supervisors and other superior officers above BLOs had warned them to finish the work within the prescribed time limit or face strict action.

All political parties except the BJP told the State Chief Electoral Officer on Saturday that employees were overloaded and SIR could wait until after the local body elections. The CEO should ensure that no other employee shares Aneesh's fate, he said.

Opposition Leader V D Satheeshan sought an impartial probe into the death of BLO Aneesh. He said the BLOs were facing huge work pressure.

Congress leader Rijl Makkutty alleged that the CEO was pushing the SIR to help the BJP open its account in the Kerala legislative assembly elections.

Kannur District Collector Arun K Vijayan said the CEO Rathan Kelkar has sought a report on the death of Aneesh George. According to the Collector, Aneesh's ward came within the Payyannur Assembly constituency, and he had finished 77 per cent of the distribution.

The SIR controversy has come at a time when the State government is planning to move the Supreme Court against the exercise.