The Supreme Court has instructed the Election Commission of India to oversee the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal transparently. The Court emphasized the need for a fair process without causing unnecessary difficulties for citizens. Notably, the ECI has identified various discrepancies in voter details, including issues like mismatched parents’ names and age gaps between family members.
The Court directed the ECI to publish lists of individuals who have received notices for discrepancies in their enumeration forms. It mandated the display of these lists at various local government offices to ensure transparency. Additionally, individuals served with notices are allowed to respond by submitting relevant documents or objections through authorized agents like Booth Level Agents.
To address concerns of inconvenience to voters, the Court ordered the establishment of submission offices within local administrative buildings. It stressed the importance of providing a fair hearing to individuals with unsatisfactory documents. Furthermore, officials handling documents or hearings are required to issue receipts as proof of compliance by the voter.
The Supreme Court also instructed the West Bengal government to ensure sufficient staffing at designated offices and directed the Director General of Police to prevent any law and order issues during the process. The Court highlighted the need to avoid arbitrary exclusion of genuine voters and criticized the ECI for issuing instructions through informal channels like WhatsApp instead of formal circulars.
