Karnataka official, 26, killed in road accident, co-workers blame SIR workload
A 26-year-old village administrative officer deployed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls died after a truck hit her two-wheeler in Karnataka's Tumakuru
A 26-year-old village administrative officer deployed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls died after a truck hit her two-wheeler in Karnataka's Tumakuru district on July 4, police said on Sunday. The incident led to overnight protests by revenue department employees, who alleged that excessive work pressure during the SIR exercise had contributed to her death. The officer, Bhuvana, was working as a supervisor for Booth Level Officers (BLOs). She suffered severe head injuries in the accident on Kunigal Road near Guluru and later died at Siddaganga Hospital. Her family and colleagues have sought a fair investigation, action against those responsible, and relief from what they described as an excessive workload on field-level staff.
Read Full Story Bhuvana was a native of Varadanayakanahalli village in Nelamangala taluk of Bengaluru Rural district. According to her uncle Ramesh, she had left home at around 6.30 am for field duty after attending an SIR-related review meeting that had reportedly continued till late on Friday night. The accident sparked outrage among revenue department staff, who staged an overnight protest outside the Tumakuru Deputy Commissioner's office. The protesters alleged that senior officials had put relentless pressure on employees during the ongoing SIR exercise and demanded a fair inquiry, action against those found responsible, and reasonable working conditions for field staff. Family members also blamed Bhuvana's intense work schedule.
Ramesh said she had been under considerable stress because of SIR duties. "Yesterday she left home saying she was under tremendous pressure. We are not against the SIR programme, but employees must have fixed working hours. They were being made to work beyond reasonable limits and were under immense pressure to complete field visits. Too much responsibility was placed on a single employee, and this is affecting everyone in the department," he said. Recalling the family's plans for her future, Ramesh said Bhuvana's marriage had been planned and relatives had recently begun looking for a suitable alliance. "We had great hopes of finding her a good family and getting her married.
Instead, we are left grieving this tragic loss," he said. Revenue department employees said they would intensify their agitation if appropriate action was not taken against those found responsible for allegedly subjecting staff to excessive work pressure during the SIR exercise. The death of the young officer has therefore triggered both grief and protests, with her family and colleagues linking the tragedy to the heavy workload during the electoral roll revision exercise and pressing for accountability and better working conditions. Ends
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