Unable to take meds, brain haemorrhage: Gonda BLO dies in Lucknow hospital; kin alleges work pressure

NEW DELHI: A Booth Level Officer (BLO) deployed in the Katra Bazar assembly constituency of Gonda district died during treatment in Lucknow, officials said on Tuesday, with his family alleging that excessive work pressure led to his death.Nanbachcha, 57, who was assigned to booth number 336, passed away on Monday night at the KGMU Trauma Centre. He had been receiving treatment there for nine days after suffering a brain haemorrhage. He hailed from Bangai village in the Rupai Deeh development block and was also employed as a ‘shiksha mitra’ at a nearby school.Family members alleged that Nanbachcha had been facing continuous pressure from the block education officer to complete duties linked to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. His wife, Krishna Devi, said his health deteriorated on the morning of December 6, following which he was rushed to a private hospital in Gonda. Doctors diagnosed him with a brain haemorrhage and referred him to Lucknow for specialised care, but he did not survive despite remaining on ventilator support for nine days.The family further claimed that Nanbachcha, who had a history of high blood pressure, was unable to take his prescribed medicines because of the heavy workload. According to Krishna Devi, he avoided the medication fearing it would cause drowsiness and hamper his official responsibilities. She also alleged that he was mentally distressed after being scolded by the block education officer on December 5 and collapsed the next morning.After his death, his body was brought back to his native village, where the last rites were performed. The district basic shiksha adhikari, along with several teachers and ‘shiksha mitras’, attended the funeral.In the meantime, fellow teachers extended humanitarian assistance and raised nearly Rs 5 lakh to help cover his medical expenses. Uttar Pradesh Primary Teachers’ Association district president Avadhesh Mani Mishra termed the incident unfortunate and called for an impartial investigation, strict action against those responsible, and a government job along with financial aid for the bereaved family.Earlier, District Basic Shiksha Adhikari Amit Kumar Singh rejected the allegations against the block education officer, calling them unfounded.