New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday (December 4) pulled up state governments over deaths of booth-level officers (BLOs) during Special Intensive Revision (SIR). Some BLOs even died by suicide. Taking note of concerns of increasing workload of BLOs, a bench, comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi, asked state and union territory governments to deploy more government employees for the SIR.
The Supreme Court bench passed the directions on a plea filed by actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party. The party had flagged the plight of BLOs during the SIR. The TVK moved the SC amid the rising cases of deaths of BLOs.
"Where 10,000 staff (have been deployed), even 30,000 can be deployed," the Supreme Court bench said, as quoted by NDTV. The apex court also asked the government to grant leaves to BLOs in case they are ill or otherwise incapacitated.
“The State government is obligated to provide the workforce if there is a need to increase the same,” the CJI observed as quoted by The Times of India
The Supreme Court bench passed the directions on a plea filed by actor Vijay's Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) party. The party had flagged the plight of BLOs during the SIR. The TVK moved the SC amid the rising cases of deaths of BLOs.
Vijay's party also accused the Election Commission of threatening BLOs to work excessively by threatening them with jail under Section 32 of the Representation of the People Act, reported the media outlet.
As per Section 32, a BLO could be jailed for two years if found guilty in breach of duties.
