Archive · 5 Dec 2025
Supreme Court Orders States to Help BLOs
The Supreme Court has told states to help Booth Level Officers (BLOs) by adding more staff.
These BLOs, who are often teachers or anganwadi workers, have been very stressed because of extra work for updating voter lists.
The court said states should give more people to help with this work so that the BLOs don't have to work so much.
Some BLOs have even died because of this stress.
The court also said that if any BLO has a good reason to not do this work, the state can find someone else to do it.
The Election Commission has been extending the time for this work because it's been hard for everyone.
The court told the states to make sure they help the BLOs and not just leave them with all the work.
Supreme Court directs states to deploy additional staff to ease work pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
Plea filed by Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK) highlights suicides and extreme pressure faced by BLOs.
Court notes that BLOs, often teachers or anganwadi workers, are overburdened with routine and additional duties.
States can exempt employees from Special Intensive Revision (SIR) duties on a case-by-case basis if substitutes are provided.
Election Commission (EC) extended the SIR schedule by a week amid allegations of tight timelines causing problems.
- Who
- Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Supreme Court, Election Commission (EC), Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK)
- What
- Supreme Court directs states to deploy additional staff to ease work pressure on BLOs
- When
- During the hearing of a plea on Thursday, with the EC extending the SIR schedule on November 30
- Where
- In nine states and three Union territories: Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
- Why
- To address extreme work pressure and prevent suicides among BLOs due to excessive workload
- Issue
- Extreme work pressure on Booth Level Officers (BLOs)
- Court's Direction
- Deploy additional staff to reduce work pressure
- Petitioner
- Tamilaga Vetri Kazhagam (TVK)
- Court's Bench
- Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi
- Special Intensive Revision (SIR)
- Ongoing in nine states and three Union territories
- States and Union Territories Involved
- Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal
- Electors Covered
- Nearly 51 crore
- EC's Extension
- Extended SIR schedule by a week on November 30
Sources
Supreme Court tells states to ease BLOs burden by deploying more staff for SIR work
Over 29 Lakh households surveyed in Assam’s Special Revision of electoral rolls
Supreme Court Directs States To Deploy More Staff For SIR After Noting Harsh Conditions Faced By BLOs Nationwide
BLO works through father’s hospitalisation, meets deadline - Telegraph India
