After viral audio claiming work stress due to SIR, Kerala BLO gets additional support

Thiruvananthapuram: A booth level officer in Kerala who lamented over severe work stress owing to special intensive revision (SIR) enumeration work has changed his mind following swift intervention of higher-ups.

In a widely circulated audio message, BLO Antony Varghese of Poonjar in Kottayam can be heard saying that the severe work stress was compelling him to take extreme steps in life.

By evening the state election authorities posted a video of Varghese telling that once he conveyed to his higher ups about the work stress, they took necessary steps to give adequate support to carry out the work and he was extremely thankful to the district collector and election commission officials.

A statement from the Kerala chief electoral officer said that Varghese was offered the option to discontinue his SIR responsibilities. But he was willing to continue the SIR work and additional personnel were deployed to assist him.

As soon as the distress message of the BLO came to notice, chief electoral officer Rathan Kelkar and district collector Chethan Kumar Meena jointly held a video conference with him.

After a BLO in Kerala ended life by suicide allegedly due to work pressure caused by SIR, the election authorities were trying to address the concerns of the BLOs in a proactive manner.