The Supreme Court of India has directed the appointment of judicial officers to oversee aspects of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, pointing to ongoing friction between the State government and the Election Commission of India (ECI).
The Bench observed that a “blame game” between the two authorities had created a stalemate, particularly in the handling of claims and objections during the voter list revision process. Concerned that the impasse could undermine the integrity and timely completion of the exercise, the Court decided that neutral judicial officers should step in to ensure fairness and efficiency.
Under the Court’s direction, serving or retired officers of the rank of District Judge or Additional District Judge are to be deployed to adjudicate disputes that arise during the revision process. Their role will include examining objections, verifying documentation and ensuring that decisions regarding inclusion or deletion of names are made in accordance with law.
The Court noted that earlier directions requiring the State to provide appropriate officers to function as Electoral Registration Officers had not yielded satisfactory results due to disagreements over personnel and procedure. In light of the trust deficit between the State and the ECI, judicial supervision was deemed necessary to restore confidence in the process.
By introducing an independent layer of oversight, the Supreme Court sought to prevent further administrative deadlock and to safeguard the credibility of the electoral roll revision, particularly with elections approaching.
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