MP News: Booth Level Officer Dies Due To Shock Of Suspension In Udaigarh

Udaigarh (Madhya Pradesh): Amidst the ongoing SIR survey and election preparations in the state, Bhuvan Singh, an assistant teacher working as a BLO in Soliya gram panchayat in Udaigarh janpad, died on Wednesday evening. Just a day earlier, on Tuesday, the District Election Officer, Jhabua had suspended him in a SIR work negligence case.

As per reports, for a long time, he had been under mental pressure due to the additional responsibilities of a BLO along with his regular teaching duties. The deadlines were extremely short, while the workload was much greater. According to his family, the suspension order completely broke him. He became depressed, stressed and felt uneasy. He could not sleep the entire night, did not eat and remained restless throughout the day.

On Wednesday evening, he suddenly fainted and collapsed. His family immediately rushed him to the Community Health Centre in Bori, where doctors declared him dead.

Bhuvan Singh was an assistant teacher at Baba Dev Phalia Primary School in the Soliya gram panchayat under Udaigarh development block and also served as a BLO. Locally, he was considered a calm, hardworking and responsible employee. He was a resident of the nearby village Dedarvasa.

Bhuvan Singh's sudden demise left his family in shock. Meanwhile, fellow BLOs in the area also expressed their displeasure. They said that the SIR survey, voter list updates, door-to-door verification, online entries and constantly changing instructions have made the work of teacher BLOs unbearable.

They said that the workload on BLOs has steadily increased, but they have received no technical support. Despite the additional responsibility, they received neither assistance nor relief.

The last rites of Singh were performed in his native village, Dedarvasa on Thursday.

Lamenting their plight, family members said, "Did the suspension complete the pending work? The head of the family died due to stress and depression and no official even came to inquire about his well-being."

They also demanded all facilities and assistance, including compassionate appointment.

Of the 40 Gram Panchayats in the Udaygarh janpad panchayat, 23 are in the Jobat assembly constituency, Aalirajpur district, while 17 fall in the Jhabua assembly constituency. Among these 17 is the Solia gram panchayat, where Bhuvan Singh was a BLO. The suspension order issued on Tuesday alleged slow work progress, failure to submit verifications on time and delays in complying with election instructions.

Teachers performing the additional responsibility of BLOs have long been burdened with dual responsibilities. Both school teaching and BLO work require constant reporting, verification, field work and online updates. Lack of network connectivity in rural areas is also a major problem. Delays and errors are natural, but punishment is immediate and harsh.