Kolkata, Nov 19 (NationPress) Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday criticized the Election Commission in connection with the tragic suicide of a female Booth Level Officer (BLO) in West Bengal, reportedly due to the intense workload associated with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process.

Through social media, CM Banerjee revealed that around 28 individuals have lost their lives in the state since the Election Commission initiated the SIR of Bengal's electoral rolls.

"I am deeply shocked and saddened. Today, we lost another Booth Level Officer in Mal, Jalpaiguri — an anganwadi worker who ended her life under the overwhelming pressure of the ongoing SIR work. Since the SIR commenced, 28 lives have been lost — some due to fear and uncertainty, while others succumbed to stress and overwork," said CM Banerjee.

The Chief Minister of West Bengal urged the Election Commission to cease this "unplanned drive" to protect lives across the state.

"Precious lives are being lost because of the unplanned, relentless workload imposed by the so-called Election Commission of India. A process that used to take three years is now being crammed into two months before elections to satisfy political leaders, placing inhumane pressure on BLOs. I call upon the ECI to act with conscience and immediately stop this unplanned initiative before more lives are lost," CM Banerjee added.

The strong reaction from Mamata Banerjee followed shortly after a female BLO took her own life due to alleged work pressure during the SIR exercise in the state.

The incident occurred in the Mal Bazar area of Jalpaiguri district in northern Bengal. The deceased's family claimed she chose to end her life as she could not cope with the pressure of SIR responsibilities. According to the police, the woman has been identified as Shantimani Ekka. She was a resident of Rangamati Panchayat in Mal Bazar and had recently been assigned SIR duties, going door-to-door to distribute enumeration forms and collect filled-out forms.

Earlier this month, another female BLO died from a brain stroke attributed to work stress. This incident took place in Memari, East Burdwan district. The deceased was named Namita Hansda, an Anganwadi worker who was serving as a BLO for booth number 278 in Chowk Balrampur, Memari. She suffered a brain stroke after a tiring day of visiting homes to distribute enumeration forms.

It is worth noting that Mamata Banerjee and her party, Trinamool Congress, have been bringing attention to the alarming number of suicides linked to the SIR in West Bengal.

The party alleges that ever since the SIR was introduced, there has been widespread panic among the populace, fearing their names might be removed from Bengal's voters' list. Trinamool has directed its criticism towards the Election Commission and the BJP. Conversely, the BJP claims that the ruling party in the state has been instilling panic among citizens regarding the SIR.