‘Warned of FIR if he failed to finish work’: Lucknow BLO dies of ‘brain haemorrhage’, union alleges SIR pressure

However, the Lucknow district administration has denied allegations that BLOs were subjected to undue pressure.

District Magistrate, Lucknow, Vishak G, said that as soon as the BLO’s health issue was reported on November 14, he was immediately relieved of his duties and another official was assigned in his place. DM confirmed that Verma suffered a brain hemorrhage

Verma, a resident of the Malihabad area in Lucknow, was serving as a shiksha mitra at a primary school. He is survived by his wife and son.

His son, Harshit (20), said his father had been under considerable stress due to the heavy workload and had slipped into depression before suffering a brain haemorrhage. He was admitted to a private hospital late on the night of November 14; the family struggled to manage the substantial medical expenses, and were forced to borrow money from others.

“We have requested financial assistance from the government and are waiting to see what decision they take,” said Harshit, who is pursuing a B.Tech degree.

Sushil Kumar, state general secretary of the UP Prathmik Shiksha Mitra Sangh, said the deceased’s family has alleged that Verma was under severe stress due to the heavy workload related to the SIR.

“Senior officials were pressuring him to complete the work within the deadline and had even warned that an FIR could be filed against him if he failed to do so. Officers were calling him at odd hours, adding to the pressure,” Kumar alleged.

He added that the family claimed Verma became mentally disturbed due to the mounting pressure and collapsed suddenly last week. He was immediately taken to the hospital.

“Our organisation demands that such excessive pressure should not be put on BLOs, especially when completing documents is already challenging in rural areas where many residents are illiterate or busy working in the fields,” Kumar said.

Kumar further stated that since Verma suffered a medical emergency while performing election-related duties, the union is demanding financial compensation for his family. A memorandum detailing the demand was submitted to the authorities on Saturday, he added.