NEW DELHI: A Booth Level Officer (BLO) stationed in the Katra Bazar assembly constituency of Gonda district passed away during treatment in Lucknow, with his family attributing his death to overwhelming work pressure. Nanbachcha, 57, who was assigned to booth number 336, succumbed on Monday night at the KGMU Trauma Centre after battling complications from a brain hemorrhage for nine days.
Hailing from Bangai village in the Rupai Deeh development block, Nanbachcha also held a position as a ‘shiksha mitra’ at a local school. His family has claimed that he faced relentless pressure from the block education officer to fulfill obligations related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
His wife, Krishna Devi, recounted that his health took a downturn on the morning of December 6. Following this, he was taken to a private hospital in Gonda, where he was diagnosed with a brain hemorrhage and subsequently referred to Lucknow for specialized treatment. Despite being on ventilator support, he did not survive.
The family alleges that Nanbachcha had a history of high blood pressure and was unable to take his medications due to the intense workload. Krishna Devi mentioned that he avoided taking his prescribed medicine because he feared it would cause drowsiness, affecting his work performance. She further claimed that after being reprimanded by the block education officer on December 5, he experienced mental distress, which may have contributed to his collapse the following day.
After his passing, Nanbachcha’s body was returned to his village for last rites, attended by the district basic shiksha adhikari, other teachers, and ‘shiksha mitras’ who came together to support his family. In a show of solidarity, fellow educators raised nearly Rs 5 lakh to help cover his medical expenses. Avadhesh Mani Mishra, the district president of the Uttar Pradesh Primary Teachers’ Association, expressed his sorrow over the incident, urging for an unbiased investigation, accountability for those responsible, and government assistance for Nanbachcha’s grieving family.
In contrast, District Basic Shiksha Adhikari Amit Kumar Singh has dismissed the family’s claims against the block education officer, labeling them as baseless. This unfortunate incident highlights the critical need for better work-life balance and mental health support for educators and government officials alike, underscoring the broader challenges faced in public service roles.