SC seeks ECI data on appeals disposed of by SIR tribunals in West Bengal
New Delhi, August 11
The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission of India to place on record details of appeals disposed of by tribunals hearing challenges to deletion of names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision exercise in West Bengal.
A bench comprising Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana was hearing a plea filed by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury, seeking the establishment of SIR tribunals at every block across West Bengal to facilitate quicker disposal of appeals against deletion of names from electoral rolls.
The apex court said it wanted to first assess the volume of cases being handled and disposed of by the existing tribunals before examining other concerns, including infrastructure and whether timelines should be prescribed for disposal.
"Let us first see the volume of disposal," the Court said.
The bench sought specific information from the ECI regarding the functioning of the tribunals, including the number of tribunals currently operating, their working hours and the number of appeals disposed of.
During the hearing, the petitioner sought directions for prescribing a timeline for disposal of appeals. However, the Court said it was not in a position to determine a timeline at this stage.
"Timeline? That we cannot fix; let us first see the quantum and correctness of tribunal decisions," Justice Joymalya Bagchi said.
The bench indicated that the disposal figures would help it assess the workload and functioning of the tribunals before deciding whether further directions were required.
Senior Advocate Vikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, appearing for another petitioner, also raised concerns regarding the infrastructure available to the tribunals. The Court, however, said it would first examine the disposal data before taking up issues relating to infrastructure and other operational aspects.
The proceedings also saw submissions concerning the alleged denial of ration and other welfare benefits to individuals whose names have been deleted from electoral rolls while their appeals against such deletions remain pending.
On this issue, the Supreme Court indicated that any challenge to the denial of social welfare benefits by the West Bengal government would have to be pursued before the Calcutta High Court.
"If the State of West Bengal chooses to deny social benefits, that deserves to go to the High Court," the Court said.
The bench further clarified that if the petitioner wanted to expand the scope of the present proceedings to include the issue of denial of social benefits, the appropriate course would be to approach the High Court.
The Supreme Court accordingly directed the ECI to furnish details of the appeals disposed of by the SIR tribunals.
The plea filed by Chowdhury seeks the establishment of SIR tribunals at the block level across West Bengal, arguing that people challenging deletion of their names from electoral rolls could otherwise face difficulties in accessing tribunals located far from their places of residence.
The Court's direction is aimed at obtaining a clearer picture of the number of appeals pending before and being disposed of by the existing tribunals. The data will be considered before the Court takes up further concerns regarding their functioning, infrastructure and possible timelines for disposal.
— ANI
Reader Comments
The concern about people losing ration and welfare benefits due to name deletion is serious. If your name is removed from the electoral roll, it affects your entire identity as a citizen. The Supreme Court asking to approach the High Court for that issue makes sense legally, but it creates more hurdles for common people.
The court is right to first check the disposal rate before fixing timelines. You can't just set deadlines without knowing the actual workload. Also, Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury raising this issue is good - someone needs to keep an eye on the electoral process in Bengal, especially with elections coming up.
The infrastructure issue raised by the senior advocate is crucial. If tribunals are located far away, poor people can't afford to travel repeatedly. The SC's patient approach of first gathering data is sensible, but I hope they don't drag this too long. People's voting rights are at stake!
Interesting that the court wants to assess the "correctness of tribunal decisions" too. That suggests they might look beyond just numbers. The electoral roll is the foundation of democracy - if names are wrongly deleted, it's a threat to the entire system. Let's hope the data comes out quickly and the SC takes strong action.
The court's direction to approach the High Court for social benefits separate from electoral disputes seems fair. But it's still a burden on citizens who are already struggling. The state government should proactively ensure that those with pending appeals don't lose welfare benefits in the meantime.
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