Supreme Court Says: Government Employees Must Perform SIR Duties;

Supreme Court Says: Government Employees Must Perform SIR Duties; If Workload Is Excessive, Increase Staff — 29 BLOs Have Died in 7 States

New Delhi, December 4, 2025 — The Supreme Court of India today ruled that government employees — including teachers, anganwadi workers, and others — assigned to the Election Commission of India’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) must carry out their mandated duties. The Court also directed state governments to immediately deploy additional staff wherever Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are facing excessive workload. (Source: LiveLaw)

⚠️ 29 BLO Deaths Reported — Heavy SIR Workload Under Question

📰 Supreme Court Says: Addressing the SIR Workload Crisis

In the last few weeks, 29 BLOs across 7 states have died, reportedly due to stress, overwork, heart attacks, and even suicide. These deaths have raised serious concerns about the SIR process — which involves door-to-door voter verification — and the intense pressure put on field staff.
Opposition parties and employee unions allege that many BLOs are being forced to handle their regular government duties (such as teaching) along with SIR responsibilities like distributing forms, collecting documents, verification, and data entry — leading to unbearable workload. (TOI)

❗ What the Supreme Court Ordered

• Employees deployed for SIR must perform their duties, but if the workload becomes too heavy, state governments must deploy additional staff immediately.
• The Court also said that if an employee has personal, health, or family issues preventing them from performing SIR duties, the government must promptly replace them with another worker.
• The Court clarified that responsibility for the recent deaths lies with state governments, not the Election Commission of India. (NBT)

📌 SIR Controversy and Its Wider Implications

• Under the SIR process, BLOs must conduct door-to-door verification along with their usual duties, causing a massive workload.
• Opposition parties and unions argue that the government is imposing unrealistic deadlines without providing adequate manpower — calling it “exploitation of grassroots-level employees.”
• With the Supreme Court stepping in, all eyes are now on state governments to see how quickly they add staff and reduce the pressure on BLOs.