BLOs Facing Excessive Workload; No One’s Voting Right Should Be Lost Due to SIR: M V Govindan

Thiruvananthapuram: No one should lose their right to vote because of SIR procedures, said CPI M state secretary M V Govindan. He was speaking at the release of the LDF manifesto ahead of the local body elections. The rushed implementation of SIR has placed an excessive burden on BLOs, he added.

The government and various political parties are currently engaged in legal battles against the rollout of SIR. However, the Election Commission remains unwilling to make any changes. At the same time, the allegation that political pressure led to the BLO’s death is baseless, he clarified. The opposition is working on behalf of the BJP, the state secretary remarked.

The LDF manifesto, released ahead of the local body elections, focuses on the comprehensive development of multiple sectors across Kerala. It includes measures to identify families living above extreme poverty yet still in general poverty, and to lift them out of hardship through micro-plans. It also proposes community food centres to help make Kerala a state with complete nutritional security, along with initiatives aimed at the development of diverse social groups across the state. The manifesto was jointly released by M V Govindan and LDF convenor T P Ramakrishnan at an event held at the AKG Centre.