Teacher's Tragic Suicide Highlights Crisis for Booth Level Officers
A 46-year-old booth level officer (BLO), who was also working as an assistant teacher, was found dead in an apparent suicide at his residence in Baheri Brahmanan village, Moradabad district. The incident occurred on Sunday, sending shockwaves through the education and electoral administration systems.
The deceased, Sarvesh Singh, was discovered hanging inside his house. He leaves behind his wife and four minor daughters, compounding the tragedy for the bereaved family. A handwritten suicide note was recovered from the scene, providing a heartbreaking glimpse into the immense pressure that led to this extreme step.
Suicide Note Reveals Extreme Pressure and Sleep Deprivation
In his final message, Singh explicitly described the unbearable stress he was experiencing. "I'm working as BLO for the first time. Had I been given more time, I could have completed the task. Time given to me was not sufficient. I want to live, but I'm under huge stress. I'm not able to sleep for even three hours," the note revealed.
Singh had been appointed as a BLO only on October 7 and was posted at a composite school in Zahidpur Sikampur village under Bhagatpur Tanda block. His note clearly indicated that the insufficient time and overwhelming targets associated with the Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls had created impossible working conditions.
Pattern of Tragedy: Seven BLO Deaths During Electoral Revision
This tragic incident is not isolated. Singh's death marks the seventh instance of a booth level officer dying while on duty for the Special Summary Revision in Uttar Pradesh. Alarmingly, three of these seven cases are suspected suicides directly linked to mounting work pressure.
The series of tragedies includes:
- Sudhir Kumar Kuril (27): A lekhpal from Fatehpur district who died by suicide on November 25, just one day before his wedding. His sister filed a complaint alleging that officials had threatened him during a review meeting on November 22 and later at his home, warning of dismissal if he failed to complete SSR work. Based on her complaint, a revenue inspector and another person were booked for abetment to suicide and under the SC/ST Act.
- Vipin Yadav (35): An assistant teacher posted in Jaitpur Majha, Gonda district, who reportedly consumed poison at his rented accommodation. Before his death, his wife recorded a video where Vipin claimed he was under extreme pressure from officials supervising the voter list revision. The district administration denied these allegations, attributing the incident to domestic issues.
Additionally, four other BLOs died from medical emergencies during their SSR duty:
- Sarvesh Kumar Gangwar (47), an assistant teacher in Bareilly, succumbed to cardiac arrest on November 26
- Vijay Kumar Verma (40), a shiksha mitra in Lucknow, died of brain hemorrhage on November 22
- Ranju Dubey (44), a shiksha mitra in Deoria, suffered a heart attack on November 25
- Shobha Rani (56), an anganwadi worker in Bijnor, died of heart attack on November 29
The chief electoral office of Uttar Pradesh has not responded to media queries regarding these deaths at the time this report was filed, raising questions about accountability and the working conditions imposed on BLOs during critical electoral exercises.
