- Supreme Court directs West Bengal officers for election duties.
- Election Commission to assign work and assess officers' roles.
- District Electoral Officers to verify documents for transparency.
- Court addresses concerns over electoral roll revision exercise.
The Supreme Court on Monday issued a series of directions aimed at addressing concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, as it sought to balance administrative requirements with electoral transparency. A bench led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, along with Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice N.V. Anjaria, directed the West Bengal government to ensure that 8,505 identified officers report to their respective District Electoral Officers (DEOs) for election-related duties.
SC Sets Microobserver Deployment Framework
The court also asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allocate work to these officers, taking into account their preferences where feasible. The bench further directed the ECI to assess whether these officers could be appointed as micro observers after reviewing their biodata and work experience. It also ordered that brief training be conducted before deployment to ensure effective functioning during the revision process.
EROs Get Final Say, ExtraWeek
The court clarified that the final decision on appointments will rest with the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), who also function as District Electoral Officers. Additionally, the EROs have been directed to allow an additional week for verification of voter documents to ensure accuracy and transparency. The matter is part of ongoing hearings into pleas challenging the SIR exercise in West Bengal. The court is examining allegations of procedural irregularities and concerns raised by political parties regarding the revision process.
Mamata Claims Targeting Over SIR
During the previous hearing on February 4, the apex court had asked the West Bengal government to provide a list of Group B officers that could be deployed for the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, appearing personally before the court, had alleged that the state was being “targeted” by the Election Commission and claimed the SIR exercise was aimed at deleting names rather than ensuring inclusion.
8505 Officers List Finally Handed
Earlier, on January 19, the Supreme Court had issued directions to the ECI to ensure transparent verification of voters placed in the “logical discrepancy” list, following petitions filed by Trinamool Congress leaders. During Monday’s hearing, the court was informed that the West Bengal government had identified 8,505 Group B officers and handed over their details to the ECI during proceedings. The state had earlier indicated it was awaiting confirmation from the Commission before sharing the list formally.
The Solicitor General assisted the court during the hearing and referred to affidavits filed by the ECI, which had earlier flagged shortages of trained personnel required for quasi-judicial election duties during the SIR exercise. The Supreme Court is expected to continue hearing the matter in the coming days.
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