Supreme Court Order on Bengal Electoral Revision: Tribunal Setup Faces Delays
In Kolkata, even 72 hours after a Supreme Court directive concerning the Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal, significant uncertainty persisted on Friday regarding the establishment of tribunals to handle appeals from individuals excluded from supplementary electoral lists. The apex court's ruling, issued on Tuesday, stipulated that orders from judicial officers in cases labeled "under adjudication" would not be appealable before any executive or administrative officer.
Calcutta High Court to Lead Tribunal Formation
The Supreme Court further mandated that the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court may request former chief justices and judges, preferably from the Calcutta High Court or neighboring states, to be appointed as appellate tribunals for such appeals. When questioned about the timeline for this setup, a senior Election Commission official on Friday indicated that the process would be time-consuming.
The official explained, "The Chief Justice of Calcutta HC will determine the procedures for establishing the tribunals. Subsequently, finalizing the names of former chief justices or judges and their remuneration, along with arranging office space and staff, are steps that require considerable time." He added that one tribunal is planned for each district.
Progress in Case Disposal and Supplementary Lists
Meanwhile, judicial officers have made substantial progress, disposing of approximately 15 lakh cases out of the roughly 60 lakh pending as of Friday. Regarding the publication of supplementary electoral lists, the official noted, "The EC has submitted several proposals, and once approved by the Calcutta High Court, software development will commence. The supplementary lists are then expected to be published, likely within another 5-6 days from now."
Additionally, over 5 lakh electors, whose names appeared in the draft list but were removed from the roll published on February 28, will have the opportunity to appeal to the District Election Officer or Chief Electoral Officer for inclusion, as per the official's statement.
