SIR in Bengal: The Supreme Court on Monday ordered the deployment of judicial officers, including retired judges, to ensure the smooth conduct of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant, Justice Joymalya Bagchi and Justice Vipin Pancholi observed that there was a clear lack of coordination between the state government and the Election Commission of India (ECI), noting that there was a “lack of trust between the two constitutional functionaries – that is the state government and the Election Commission of India,” the Bar and Bench said.
On Tuesday, February 16, the EC suspended seven officials in West Bengal with immediate effect for gross misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory authority in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Review (SIR) process in the state.
Earlier this month, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee appeared before the court in person and flagged various problems in the SIR. She alleged that the ECI targeted the state just ahead of this year’s assembly elections.
What SC said
While passing its order on Friday, the EC noted that the SIR process was “stuck at the stage of claims and objections by persons who were included in the list of logical irregularities”.
The bench noted that most of the people to whom the EC had issued notices had submitted their documents in support of their claim for inclusion in the electoral roll.
“In order to ensure a fair assessment of the authenticity of the documents produced and subsequent inclusion or exclusion in the electoral roll, we are left with almost no other option than to request the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court to spare some serving judicial officers along with some ex-judicial officers of the rank of Additional District Judge or District Judges who may then assist in the liquidation or revision of the civil servant in the application list as per logical contradictions in each district. empowered, to help in service,” the Bar and Bench quoted the SC as saying.
(This is a developing story. Keep checking back for more updates)