States must ensure availability of staff for SIR, orders top court

The Supreme Court on Thursday underscored that states governments cannot distance themselves from their statutory obligation to provide adequate manpower for electoral work, making it clear that they are duty-bound to ensure the availability of booth level officers (BLOs) for the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

- Utkarsh Anand

If existing employees are overburdened or face genuine hardship, states must be ready with substitutes, the court ordered.