In a decisive move, the Supreme Court has ordered the deployment of judicial officers, including retired judges, to facilitate the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The Bench, headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipin Pancholi, cited a lack of cooperation between the State government and the Election Commission of India (ECI).

The Court highlighted a “trust deficit” between the State government and ECI, which has stalled the SIR process at the stage of claims and objections in the logical discrepancy list. Many individuals have submitted documents for voter inclusion, which require quasi-judicial adjudication by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).

To resolve the impasse, the Court requested the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court to provide serving and former judicial officers of the rank of Additional District Judge or District Judge. Each officer will be assisted by ECI personnel and State officials to ensure the fair inclusion or exclusion of voters in the rolls.

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Acknowledging that this deployment may temporarily affect the hearing of normal court cases, the Supreme Court directed the Calcutta High Court to shift interim relief matters to alternate courts for a week or ten days. The Court urged the State to cooperate fully, warning that delays in the SIR could have serious implications for electoral preparation.

The Court also criticized the State for failing to provide competent Group A officers required to function as EROs and AEROs, noting that inadequate staffing was hampering the SIR process. Senior Advocate DS Naidu, representing ECI, emphasized the need for qualified officers, while the State cited a shortage of Sub Divisional Officers.

In conclusion, the Supreme Court made it clear that judicial oversight is essential to bring the SIR process to a logical conclusion, and warned the State against further delays, stressing that fair and timely conduct of the revision is critical for the integrity of the electoral process.

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