A video of a Booth Level Officer (BLO) from Pandua Block allegedly breaking down under the strain of continuous work pressure and technical glitches related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) work has gone viral on social media, drawing sharp criticism and prompting a protest by a teachers’ forum.

The video, shared from the Facebook profile of Animesh Haldar, features Sumita Mukhopadhyay (Ghosh), a school teacher from the West Para area of Batika Baichi Gram Panchayat, who serves as the BLO for Booth No. E-41.

 

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Technical Delays and Extended Work Hours Alleged

The incident reportedly occurred after Ms. Mukhopadhyay was summoned to the Block Office for online data entry, despite her claims of having already updated around 300 names online. She described a harrowing experience at the office.

“Despite my health issues, I have been doing the SIR work… I was called to the block office and asked to do the online entry there. But there were server problems. From 11:30 in the morning till 4:30 in the afternoon, I sat there but could not complete the work because of technical issues,” Ms. Mukhopadhyay stated.

She further claimed a lack of support, saying, “I informed people, but no one provided any solution. I didn’t even get to eat. At that point, I felt extremely unwell. I felt like ending my life.” She credited a fellow BLO who accompanied her home for preventing a “mishap.”

“I completely broke down at home because I am being harassed severely,” she added, criticizing the Election Commission for what she called “no proper planning” and constantly changing decisions, stating that the difficulties faced by BLOs on fieldwork are often ignored.

Family and Activists Respond

Sumita Mukhopadhyay’s husband, Biswajit Ghosh, corroborated his wife’s distress, stating, “That day she was mentally shattered and crying uncontrollably. She was almost in a condition where she needed to be hospitalized.”

He rejected the notion that the issue was his wife’s fault, arguing, “The server of the portal was down, and the blame is being put on my wife.

The officials are shifting their responsibility… She is not refusing to work—despite meeting her target, she is being harassed.”

Animesh Haldar, Convenor of the Teachers’ and Education Workers’ BLO Duty Resistance Forum, echoed the concerns, alleging that BLOs across the state are being forced to work under extreme pressure.

“Even after completing 300 data entries, she was made to sit for hours.

She broke down due to illness and stress… In such a short span of time, without adequate arrangements, work is being carried out in a completely unplanned manner. This is unacceptable,” Mr. Haldar said.

He announced that the forum will be submitting a written complaint to the Election Commission based on this incident.

Block Administration Declines Comment, SDO Responds

The Pandua Block Administration declined to provide any comment regarding the incident.

However, a response was given by a source from the Election Commission (identified as the SDO), who offered a differing perspective.
“We have initially heard about the matter. She is a low-performing BLO, performing much below average,” the source stated. They clarified that those who were “lagging behind” or needed help with the application were called to the block office.

“It is not true that she was unable to work because of health issues. She was provided hand-holding help at the block. If there is any need for her medical treatment, we will look into that as well,” the source concluded.

The incident highlights growing concerns among BLOs regarding the intensity of work pressure and the technical infrastructure supporting the ongoing SIR process.

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