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Citing BLO deaths, Oppn trains guns at UP government over SIR
Govt conducted SIR process in a very short time, without proper training and arrangements, which resulted in mental pressure on BLOs, alleges Aradhana Mishra, UP Cong legislative party leader
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LUCKNOW The Opposition on Tuesday tried to corner the UP government on the issues of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and reservation, alleging that votes are being deleted under the pretext of SIR.
“Uttar Pradesh saw deaths of 10 BLOs and they were government employees. Incomplete preparations and ‘inhuman pressure’ on BLOs to conduct SIR quickly led to deaths,” alleged Aradhana Mishra, UP Congress legislative party leader.
Replying to the opposition, finance minister Suresh Khanna said: “All these officials – from election officer to BLO, remain on deputation with Election Commission under Section 13 (cc) of the People’s Representation Act. We have sympathy over the deaths, but it is also a matter of probe how these deaths took place. Since they are UP government representatives, their rights are protected.”
“The chief minister claimed that around 4 crore voters were missing from the electoral rolls in the state, but at the same time, the Election Commission said the figure was about 2.92 crore,” she pointed out and accused the government of conducting the SIR process in a very short time, without training and proper arrangements, which resulted in mental pressure on BLOs. She held the BJP government responsible for the deaths.
“If SIR was already a certainty, why weren’t the BLOs trained first? The government needs to reply on the issue,” she said, demanding that the kin be provided government jobs equivalent to the post held by the deceased.
Nagina MLA Manoj Kumar Paras said: “SIR was done earlier also, but the process was conducted over a year and the last was done from 2002 to 2004. This is first time that the process was given few weeks time, and that too, without training. Family of the deceased be given ₹1 crore compensation.”
“In the name of SIR, the government is executing national register of citizens,” claimed Barabanki MLA Gaurav Rawat.
Speaking on the status of reservation in government jobs, MLA Sangram Singh Yadav said there have been several reservation scams since 2017, and when protests are organised, the candidates are dealt with police action.
