Electoral Duty Takes Heavy Toll: Two Officials Hospitalized
Two West Bengal government officials engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls collapsed and were hospitalized on Sunday, raising serious concerns about the mounting work pressure associated with the Election Commission's exercise. The incidents occurred in separate locations across the state, with both officials suffering serious medical emergencies.
BLO Suffers Cardiac Arrest During Fieldwork
In Basirhat, North 24 Parganas, 48-year-old Shankar Singh, a Booth Level Officer (BLO) of booth number 89 under Bishnupur panchayat in Hingalganj constituency, collapsed during fieldwork on Saturday night. The official was first rushed to Hingalganj Block Hospital before being transferred to SSKM Hospital in Kolkata, where doctors confirmed he had suffered a cardiac arrest.
His wife, Mamoni Sarkar Singh, strongly alleged that excessive workload and mental stress triggered her husband's condition. She revealed that Shankar had repeatedly sought exemption from SIR duties due to overwhelming stress but received no relief from senior officials. "Unable to bear the stress, particularly the pressure of uploading forms online, he got in touch with senior officials seeking exemption from SIR duties, but received no relief," she stated.
Supervising Officer Suffers Brain Stroke
In a parallel incident from East Midnapore, Vivekanand Pal, an Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and block youth officer posted in Pingla, suffered a brain stroke at his Chandipur home on Sunday morning. The resident of Hanschara collapsed around 6:30 AM and was initially admitted to Tamralipta District Hospital.
A CT scan at the hospital indicated major cerebral complications, prompting doctors to advise immediate transfer to a specialized neurology center in Kolkata, where he remains in critical condition. Family members directly linked his collapse to the intense pressure of completing SIR-related work.
Jhuma Rani Santra, a relative of Vivekanand Pal, disclosed that the official was constantly worried about meeting the strict deadlines set by the Election Commission. "Vivekanand often voiced his concern whether the work involving the verification of electoral rolls would be completed in time," Santra revealed.
The situation was particularly stressful for Pal as he was supervising 40 BLOs and feared that any delay or incomplete work by them would fall entirely on his shoulders. Santra added, "He lost consciousness. The CT scan indicated a problem in the brain and we were told that one of his eyeballs had sunk, necessitating the immediate transfer to Kolkata."
Mounting Concerns Over Electoral Exercise Pressure
These back-to-back medical emergencies have triggered fresh concerns about the work pressure associated with the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. Both incidents highlight the physical and mental toll that election-related duties are taking on government officials across West Bengal.
The cases from Basirhat and Chandipur underscore the need for addressing workload management and stress factors among election officials, especially as the revision process involves tight deadlines and significant digital responsibilities, including online form uploads and extensive verification processes.
