A Bench of Chief Justice of India (CJI) Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi issued a set of directions to alleviate the working conditions of Booth Level Officers (BLOs) engaged in the SIR process.
The core problem, as highlighted by TVK, was the extreme work pressure—even leading to tragic cases of suicide among BLOs, many of whom are Anganwadi workers and teachers.
The Supreme Court’s Directives
The order is aimed at the concerned States, obligating them to step up and ease the burden on these employees.
-
Additional Staff: The States are ordered to depute additional staff for SIR duty. The clear goal is to reduce the working hours of the persons currently engaged in the revision.
-
Case-by-Case Exemption: If any individual BLO has specific reasons for seeking exemption—such as health reasons or family circumstances—the State government must consider such requests on a case-to-case basis and replace that person with another.
-
Obligation to Provide Workforce: The State is now explicitly obligated to provide the necessary workforce in case the need for staff increases.
-
Recourse for Aggrieved Individuals: If any other relief is needed that was not addressed by the Court’s order, the aggrieved individual retains the right to approach the court directly.
The Human Cost and The ECI’s Stand
Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for TVK, delivered a powerful argument, calling it a “human story.” He cited “details from 35 to 40 BLOs who have committed suicide” due to work pressure. He highlighted the punitive measures used against reluctant BLOs, including notices under Section 32 of ROPA and criminal action—”50 FIRs have been filed against BLOs in UP.”
Senior Advocate Maninder Singh, representing the Election Commission of India (ECI), strongly opposed the application, calling it “absolutely unfair.”
However, the Court noted that while employees have a statutory duty, if they are facing issues, the State government is the one that can obviate such hardship. The final order places the onus of providing relief and workforce squarely on the States.
The hearing was part of ongoing petitions challenging the SIR process across several states, including Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Uttar Pradesh, and Kerala. The decision is a massive step towards recognizing the exploitation of ground-level election workers.
End…
