Bengal SIR: 47 Lakh Objections Disposed, Supreme Court “Optimistic” about Progress

The Supreme Court on Wednesday noted that nearly 47 lakh of the 60 lakh objections filed during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal have been disposed of as of March 31, expressing satisfaction with the pace of the exercise even as concerns over exclusions and procedure were raised by petitioners.

The update was placed before a Bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi, through a communication from the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. The court also took note of the scale of daily disposal and the ongoing institutional arrangements to handle disputes arising from the revision. “We are quite happy and very optimistic about the facts and figures,” the Chief Justice of India observed, pointing to the steady progress made so far.

The Bench was informed that between 1.75 lakh and 2 lakh objections are being adjudicated each day, and that all pending cases are likely to be decided by April 7.

The court recorded that the Election Commission has constituted 19 appellate tribunals, headed by former High Court chief justices and judges, to hear appeals against both inclusion and exclusion from the voter lists.

It directed that these tribunals be given full access to records, including the reasons recorded by judicial officers deciding the claims. The Bench emphasised that such reasons must be shared with the concerned parties.

While allowing the tribunals to evolve their own procedures in line with principles of natural justice, the court cautioned that fresh documents should not be entertained without verifying their genuineness.

The Supreme Court also asked the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal to ensure timely payment of honorarium and related expenses to judicial officers, tribunal members and staff.

It further directed authorities to either extend existing arrangements for tribunal premises or identify suitable alternative infrastructure in consultation with stakeholders.

During the hearing, senior counsel appearing for various petitioners, including West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, raised concerns over a reportedly high exclusion rate and alleged procedural irregularities.

Responding to these submissions, the CJI remarked that competing political perspectives would inevitably influence such claims. “Let us allow tribunals to function and deal with exclusions or inclusion in voters’ list,” he said.

The Bench described some of the apprehensions as “hyper-technical” and advised parties to raise specific grievances before the appellate tribunals. “Ultimately, you are not remediless,” the court said. Taking note of the projected timeline for completion of the exercise, the Supreme Court posted the matter for further hearing on April 6.​