Booth-level officers (BLO) engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala will strike work on Monday in protest against the death of BLO Aneesh George in Payyannur, service organisations said.
The strike is planned under the aegis of the Action Council of State Government Employees’ and Teachers and the action council representing the service organisations of teachers. They will also take out protest marches to the office of Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U. Kelkar and the offices of the Returning Officers in all the districts, a statement said.
The organisations said that BLOs are facing tremendous pressure due to the operational overlap of the SIR and the local body elections. They also held the Election Commission of India (EC), which is conducting the SIR, responsible for Mr. George’s death.
The EC drew flak from the organisations for ignoring the repeated demand made by political parties and the service organisations that the SIR be put off until after the local body elections. Faced with targets that are humanly impossible to meet, BLOs are being pushed to resort to extreme measures, they alleged.
Compensation sought
