UP BLO Officer Suffers Heart Attack Amid SIR Duty; Family Alleges Work Pressure

Banda, UP: The electoral verification work in Uttar Pradesh has been ongoing for several months, and the intense pressure appears to have taken a serious toll on one of the officers. Anita Rawat, a female BLO (Booth Level Officer) assigned to SIR duty in Banda, suffered a heart attack on Monday evening. She was initially admitted to the district hospital and later referred to Gwalior for specialized care, where she remains in the ICU in critical condition.

Family Points to Work Pressure
Anita, posted as a Shiksha Mitra at the Primary School Ganchha in Kahla village of the Sadar Assembly constituency, had reportedly been under significant mental stress due to the rigorous demands of the voter list revision process. Her family claims the sustained pressure contributed to her sudden cardiac episode.

Serious Allegations by Brother-in-Law
Anita’s brother-in-law, Suresh Rawat, has publicly raised concerns about the behavior of departmental officials. He alleged that she received three separate “show-cause” notices on different dates for not meeting targets. He further claimed she was publicly humiliated during review meetings.

Ignored Requests for Relief
According to Suresh Rawat, Anita had submitted a written request to the BRC (Block Resource Center) citing her health issues and the heavy workload. However, instead of providing relief, he alleges that the Block Education Officer and Assistant Election Officer continued to press her with work, worsening her condition.

Officials Deny Allegations
On the other hand, the administration has rejected these allegations. SDM Amit Shukla stated that any officer facing health issues should have informed senior authorities, and the administration would have extended full support. BSA Avyakt Ram Tiwari also denied receiving any health-related requests, noting that the work must be completed within a fixed timeline as per Election Commission guidelines, while adding that necessary relief would have been provided if prior intimation of illness had been given.