The Supreme Court has issued a show-cause notice to West Bengal’s Director General of Police regarding the Election Commission of India’s accusations of intimidation and disruption during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. The court directed the state police chief to submit a personal affidavit explaining the allegations made by the poll body. Despite complaints, no FIRs were reportedly filed against individuals accused of burning objection forms and records related to the SIR exercise.
To address concerns raised by petitioners and streamline the SIR process in West Bengal, the Supreme Court has issued interim directions. The court instructed the state government to ensure that all 8,505 Group B officers report to the District Electoral Officers (DEOs) or Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) by 5 p.m. on Tuesday.
In response to the ongoing situation, the apex court granted the Election Commission of India the discretion to replace existing EROs and Assistant EROs (AEROs) with qualified state government officers. These officials will undergo brief training and support the EROs/AEROs in their duties. The court emphasized that micro-observers and state government officials are to assist statutory authorities, with final decision-making powers resting solely with the EROs.
The Supreme Court further clarified that the EROs will be given an additional week beyond February 14 to complete document scrutiny and make necessary decisions. The court also noted the Election Commission’s statement that micro-observers are not decision-makers but are meant to aid statutory authorities. Additionally, the court highlighted instances where recommendations for suspension of erring officials were ignored by the state government.
