Supreme Court Satisfied With Progress Of Bengal Voter Roll Revision; Flags Steady Pace

The Supreme Court on Wednesday expressed satisfaction with the progress of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal. It noted that a significant portion of objections has already been resolved.

A Bench led by CJI Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul Pancholi, took note of communications from the Calcutta High Court. The High Court informed the Bench about the status of pending objections. It said over 47 lakh objections have been disposed of out of more than 60 lakh pending cases.

The court said it was satisfied with the progress and expressed optimism. It noted that nearly 1.75 to 2 lakh objections are being handled daily. The process is expected to be completed by April 7.

The Bench also reviewed the formation of Appellate Tribunals, which are headed by former High Court Chief Justices and judges. It was informed that the Election Commission of India has notified 19 tribunals, with arrangements made for their functioning in Kolkata and infrastructure secured for eight weeks.

Training and orientation of tribunal members are underway to facilitate the handling of appeals filed both online and offline.

Addressing concerns about such training, the court clarified that it is merely an orientation process and cautioned against frivolous allegations.

On transparency, the Bench was informed that the software used in the revision process includes provisions for recording reasons for inclusion or exclusion of names.

The court directed that tribunals must have full access to these records while deciding appeals.

During the hearing, senior advocates, including Kapil Sibal, Shyam Divan and Kalyan Banerjee, raised concerns about the adjudication process. They flagged a surge in Form 6 applications seeking fresh inclusion.

Court Terms Concerns Premature

The court, however, termed such concerns premature and said issues could be addressed before appellate tribunals if necessary. Senior advocate Dama Seshadri Naidu, appearing for the ECI, maintained that eligible voters can be included until the last date of nomination.

The court directed authorities to ensure timely payment and logistical support for officials involved. It scheduled the next hearing for April 7 to review progress.

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