NEW DELHI: Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) have given standing instructions to ensure the welfare of government employees working under their administrative supervision, sources in the Election Commission of India (ECI) said.

The clarification comes amid growing uproar over a number of deaths and suicides among Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in states where the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is under way.

They said that in line with the instructions issued to them, the CEOs are looking into the cases of reported deaths and seeking detailed reports from the respective District Collectors while investigating the cases.

The sources said, the question of SIR work-related pressure should not be there, as each of the BLOs is given responsibility of distributing and collecting enumeration forms not more than 1,000, as for nearly 51 crore voters, there are five lakh BLOs in the field.

However, since cases of deaths and suicides are being reported from West Bengal, Kerala, Gujarat and Rajastan, "the CEOs and the District Returning Officers (DROs) are made responsible to ensure welfare of government employees working under their supervision," the sources said.