Supreme Court Pulls Up Bengal Govt, EC Over Voter List Revision; Orders Appointment of Judicial Officers
Top court directs deployment of serving and retired judges to ensure fairness in Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
New Delhi: The Supreme Court of India has expressed strong displeasure over the lack of coordination between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission of India during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in the state.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipin Pancholi heard the matter and observed a clear lack of cooperation between the state government and the Election Commission.
The bench also criticised the ongoing exchange of allegations and counter-allegations between the two sides, stating that it reflects a serious trust deficit.
Judges to Oversee Claims and Objections
The court noted that the SIR process has now reached the stage of examining claims and objections from individuals whose names were included in the list of “logical inconsistencies.” Many of these individuals had been issued notices, and their cases must be decided through a quasi-judicial process by Electoral Registration Officers.
Given the situation, the bench said it had no option but to involve members of the judiciary, including retired judicial officers, in overseeing the process.
The court directed that, to ensure the authenticity of submitted documents and fairness in decisions regarding inclusion or exclusion from the voter list, the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court be requested to assign serving judicial officers as well as retired officers of the rank of District Judge or Additional District Judge to assist in the exercise.
Possible Impact on Regular Court Work
The bench acknowledged that deploying judges for the SIR process could affect regular court proceedings. It instructed that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court, along with a committee of judges, the Registrar General and the Principal District Judge, may transfer interim matters to alternative courts for a period of one week to ten days.
The Supreme Court also directed the West Bengal government to fully cooperate with the High Court and create a conducive environment to enable smooth functioning of the process.
The bench remarked that failure to complete the SIR exercise could have serious consequences, underlining the importance of ensuring the integrity of the electoral roll.
Background of the Dispute
On February 9, the Supreme Court had directed the state government to ensure that officers provided by it are appointed for duty by the Election Commission. The state had submitted a list of officers for appointment as micro-observers.
However, during the latest hearing, the Election Commission alleged that the state government was not providing competent and suitable officers. Responding to this, Chief Justice Surya Kant observed that if Group A capable officers are not being provided, it raises concerns about how unqualified personnel can decide matters affecting citizens’ electoral rights.
The case highlights growing tensions between the state administration and the Election Commission over the conduct of the voter list revision process in West Bengal.
