Another BLO has died in West Bengal. Early on Wednesday morning, she was found hanging in the courtyard of her home. She was rushed to the hospital but could not be saved. The deceased woman BLO has been identified as Shantimuni Ekka (48). The incident has caused an uproar in the Malbazar area of Jalpaiguri district.
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Shantimuni, a resident of the New Glencoe Tea Garden area under Rangamati Gram Panchayat in Malbazar police station limits, was an anganwadi worker by profession. The family claims she faced daily difficulties working on SIR duties. Her son D’ Souza Ekka and husband Sukhu Ekka said Shantimuni could not cope with the workload. She did not know how to read or write Bengali well, yet she was assigned SIR work.
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Earlier, Shantimuni had gone to the Joint BDO of Malbazar Block to request relief from this work. But the officials did not accept her request, the family alleges. On Wednesday morning, Minister of Tribal Welfare and MLA of Malbazar, Bulu Chik Baraik, visited the house to meet the family members of the deceased BLO. He said, “Many voters have taken their own lives out of SIR fear. Today, a BLO took her life due to work pressure. A family has been destroyed. The Election Commission must take responsibility.”
It is worth noting that just a few days ago, BLO Namita Hansda died of a brain stroke in East Burdwan. She was working as the BLO of Booth No. 278 in Chak Balarampur of Memari. She was taken to Kalna Subdivisional Hospital but could not be saved.
