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West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday announced financial assistance for families affected by what she described as “SIR-induced panic”, alleging that the Centre has “weaponised” the SIR (Special Intensive Revision) of electoral rolls.

Banerjee said the state government will provide Rs 2 lakh each to the families of 39 people who have died since the SIR rollout on 4 November, claiming the deaths include suicides triggered by fear over the exercise.

She also announced Rs 1 lakh each for 13 others, including three BLOs (booth-level officers) who allegedly collapsed due to “excessive workload”.

“Till now, 39 ordinary citizens, including four BLOs, have died due to the SIR panic, including suicides. Their families will be provided financial assistance,” the chief minister said after reviewing the state’s 14-year development record at Nabanna.

Officials said the first SIR-linked suicide occurred on the very day the exercise began, when Pradip Kar, a resident of Khardah in North 24 Parganas, took his life.

Since then, nearly half of the reported deaths during enumeration have been suicides, while the rest were attributed to cardiac arrests and brain strokes.

Banerjee said 13 people are currently undergoing treatment after collapsing or falling critically ill during the revision drive, including enumerators allegedly burdened by heavy workloads.

She added that four BLOs who died earlier due to work-related stress had already been compensated with Rs 2 lakh each.

Accusing the Centre of turning a routine electoral exercise into a coercive tool, Banerjee said, “We will not let people be traumatised or intimidated. The state will support every affected family.”

She alleged that the SIR rollout has “triggered widespread fear and distress”, and insisted that her government would “stand firmly” with citizens affected during the enumeration phase.

With PTI inputs