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Bengal Voter ID Adjudication: Judicial Officers File Daily Reports to High Court

Judicial officers appointed by the Calcutta High Court have begun adjudicating identity documents for voters flagged under "logical discrepancy" by the Election Commission. They must submit daily progress reports to the High Court detailing cases examined and decisions taken. The process, initiated under a Supreme Court directive, aims to resolve an estimated 50 lakh cases before the final electoral roll is published on February 28. State officials report the process is proceeding smoothly after initial technical glitches were resolved.

Key Points: Bengal Voter Roll Adjudication: Daily HC Reports Ordered

  • Daily HC reports on voter doc adjudication
  • Process follows Supreme Court directive
  • Aim to complete before Feb 28 roll publication
  • ~50 lakh cases flagged for discrepancy
  • Technical issues resolved, process ongoing
2 min read

Bengal SIR: Judicial officers to submit daily reports on voters' document adjudication to HC

Calcutta High Court mandates daily progress reports from judicial officers adjudicating lakhs of voter ID discrepancies before final electoral roll publication.

"efforts are underway to complete the adjudication process within the stipulated timeframe - Manoj Kumar Agarwal"

Kolkata, Feb 23

Judicial officers appointed to adjudicate identity documents of voters flagged under the "logical discrepancy" category by the Election Commission of India will submit daily progress reports to the Calcutta High Court on the status of the adjudication process.

The adjudication process, being conducted by judicial officers appointed by the Calcutta High Court in compliance with directions issued by the Supreme Court last week, commenced on Monday.

Despite initial technical issues, the process began smoothly on Monday morning and continued through the day, officials from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said.

As per directions issued by Calcutta High Court Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, the judicial officers are required to submit daily reports detailing the number of cases examined, decisions taken, and overall progress of the adjudication process.

According to the current schedule, the final electoral roll in West Bengal is slated to be published on February 28, excluding cases that have been referred for judicial adjudication.

Supplementary electoral rolls will be published after the adjudication process is completed, incorporating eligible voters cleared through judicial verification.

Officials indicated that a key concern remains whether adjudication of a large number of voters' documents -- estimated at around 50 lakh cases referred under the "logical discrepancy" category -- can be completed before the February 28 deadline.

Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal Manoj Kumar Agarwal told mediapersons late on Monday that efforts are underway to complete the adjudication process within the stipulated timeframe.

He said the initial technical issues encountered at the start of the process were resolved quickly, allowing the adjudication to proceed without major disruption.

Following the Supreme Court's directive last week mandating judicial oversight in adjudicating voters' identity documents flagged for discrepancies, the Calcutta High Court has been actively monitoring the process.

Chief Justice T.S. Sivagnanam has held multiple review meetings with senior officials, including the Chief Electoral Officer, Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty, and representatives of the Election Commission and the state administration.

A review meeting was also held on Monday, during which judicial officers were briefed on procedures for document verification, decision-making protocols, acceptance or rejection of applications, recording reasons for rejection, and submission of daily progress reports to the High Court.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

S
Shreya B
Finally some strict oversight! The logical discrepancy category has been a grey area for too long. Judicial officers submitting daily reports will ensure no political pressure can influence the process. This is a win for fair elections in Bengal. 🙏
A
Aman W
My only worry is the timeline. 50 lakh cases before Feb 28? That seems nearly impossible without compromising on thoroughness. Rushing such an important verification defeats the purpose of judicial oversight. They should extend the deadline if needed.
P
Priyanka N
As a citizen, I appreciate the Supreme Court and High Court stepping in. But I hope genuine voters, especially those in remote areas or the elderly who might have small errors in documents, are not unfairly removed from the list in this hurry.
D
David E
Observing from outside, this looks like a robust process. Daily reporting to the judiciary is a strong accountability measure. The key will be execution and ensuring the supplementary rolls are published promptly so no eligible voter is disenfranchised.
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Karthik V
The active involvement of the Chief Justice in review meetings is reassuring. This isn't just a formality; they are serious about monitoring. Hope this sets a precedent for other states as well. Clean electoral rolls are the foundation.

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