TUMAKURU: AN administrative officer attached to Hullenahallil village, engaged in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) work, died after a truck crashed into her moped on Kunigal Road near Guluru on Saturday.
The deceased, Bhuvana (26), was a supervisor for Booth Level Officers. She sustained severe head injuries and succumbed at Siddaganga Hospital.
Bhuvana, who hailed from Varadanayakanahalli village of Nelamangala taluk in Bengaluru Rural district, used to travel by bus till here and then take her moped to work. On Saturday too, she was going as per her schedule when the accident occurred around 7.30 am near Bevinamaradamma temple.
SIR work pressure taking toll on health, say staff
When Deputy Commissioner Subha Kalyan visited the hospital, angry revenue department officials mobbed her. They alleged that Bhuvana was attending an SIR-related meeting chaired by the DC till 10 pm on Friday and left home early on Saturday morning.
The work pressure caused the accident, they argued.
The DC clarified that the meeting she chaired got over by 6 pm. But the protestors alleged that an unscientific work schedule and work pressure is taking a toll on their health both physically and mentally.
Protesters later shifted to the DC’s office in large numbers and continued dharna till evening by wearing black bands. A village administrative officer alleged that the government is engaging them in all sorts of work, from official duty to organising people for rallies.
“We are forced to work from 6 am till 10 pm,” she alleged.
State Government Employees Union president Narasimaharaju and vice-president GN Radhakrishna, who led the protests, said government employees should be given a schedule for SIR and should not be pressured to meet targets. Members of the Village Administrative Officers Association demanded action against officers who assign work unscientifically.
The Communist Party of India (Marxist) expressed its solidarity with the employees. Its leader Syed Mujeeb alleged that officers have given contradictory directions to BLOs, telling them to only issue forms to voters, while also asking them to fill up forms so that targets can be met. There are also issues of BLOs not being trained properly, he added.
In the meantime, city municipal corporation workers resisted the DC’s order to work on Sundays for SIR. They have been asked to assemble at 6.30 am on Sunday.