New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday granted a one-week extension to complete the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, giving Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) additional time beyond the earlier February 14 deadline to finish scrutiny and take final decisions.
In an interim order passed on a petition filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, the bench directed that the EROs be allowed seven more days to conclude the verification exercise.
At the same time, Chief Justice Surya Kant made it clear that the court would not stall the revision process. The top court said it would ensure that no hurdles obstruct the completion of the SIR, while refraining from creating any impediments of its own, according to a report by Bar and Bench.
The bench, which also included Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria, issued a series of interim directions aimed at addressing manpower shortages flagged by the Election Commission of India.
The court instructed the West Bengal government to ensure that a list of 8,555 Group B officers submitted to the court report to their respective district electoral officers by 5 p.m. The direction followed submissions by the Election Commission that the state was not providing sufficient personnel to carry out the revision exercise effectively.
The bench further ruled that the Election Commission would have the discretion to replace EROs and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and continue using the services of existing officials if they are found suitable.
It also allowed the induction of state government officials as micro observers, subject to scrutiny of their biodata and brief training lasting a day or two. The court clarified that the role of these officials would be limited to assisting the EROs, with final decision-making authority resting solely with the EROs.
Acknowledging the expanded deployment of officials, the court noted that the process of scrutinising documents submitted by affected voters was likely to take additional time, justifying the extension granted for completion of the SIR exercise.
