The Supreme Court on Thursday stepped in to address the mounting strain on Booth Level Officers (BLOs) deployed for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, issuing a series of directions to States to reduce work hours, deploy additional staff and consider exemption requests on humanitarian grounds, Bar and Bench reported.

The intervention follows alarming reports highlighted before the Court, including cases of BLOs dying by suicide allegedly due to intense work pressure. Also Read | SIR in Bengal: TMC govt hasn’t paid BLOs ₹18,000 — EC calls it ‘very strange’

Senior Advocate Gopal Sankaranarayanan, appearing for TVK, told the apex court, as reported by Bar & Bench: "We have details from 35 to 40 BLOs who have committed suicide. These are all Anganwadi workers and

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