Kolkata's 19 Appellate Tribunals Commence Voter Appeal Hearings at Joka Institute
The 19 appellate tribunals established to address voter inclusion and exclusion appeals have officially begun their operations at Joka's Dr. Syama Prasad Mookerjee National Institute of Water and Sanitation in Kolkata. This commencement follows a 23-day period since their formation by the Election Commission and three days after the second-phase electoral list was finalized.
Judicial Panel and Initial Proceedings
The tribunals are composed of distinguished retired judges, including Justice T.S. Sivagnanam, former Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court; Justice Manjula Chellur, former Chief Justice of the Bombay High Court; and Justice Biswajit Basu, among others. Although the Election Commission of India notified their formation on March 20, in compliance with a Supreme Court order dated March 10, the tribunals have thus far heard and resolved only four appeals that were specifically mentioned at the apex court.
On Sunday, a preparatory team comprising retired judges, Chief Secretary Dushyant Nariala, and Chief Justice Sujoy Paul conducted an inspection of the institute to assess the arrangements for tribunal functionality. According to official sources, the setup includes 119 computers and will involve 200 micro-observers in the adjudication process. An official stated, "The retired judges can start working from Monday, if they wish."
Operational Infrastructure and Staff Training
Each judge will be supported by a team of four to five staff members, who underwent comprehensive training on Friday. This training focused on document scrutiny procedures and the specific responsibilities they will undertake. The tribunal offices have been equipped with basic furniture such as tables and chairs, and approximately 100 computers have been rented to facilitate operations, as confirmed by a senior official.
Even during the inspection on Sunday, five to six individuals approached the entrance inquiring about the tribunal. These individuals had filed appeals after discovering their names were deleted from voter lists but have yet to receive notifications for hearings.
Voter Grievances and Confusion
Suvankar Das, a 37-year-old resident of Haridevpur, expressed his frustration, stating, "When I am asking my BLO, they are clueless. We are confused. We filed the appeal online but no intimation of hearing was given. Poll date is drawing close, will we get to vote if cleared? Nothing is clear." Das submitted various documents, including his passport, yet his name and his mother Lily Das's name were deleted, while his father and wife successfully passed the SIR scrutiny. The reason cited for Suvankar's deletion was an age discrepancy with his grandfather, who passed away in 1998.
Lily Das, who waited nearly two hours in a tent outside the institute without being heard, lamented, "I was born in Behala East. I studied here and got married here. I voted here. Suddenly, some SIR is telling me that I am not a voter."
Purpose and Scope of the Tribunals
These tribunals have been specifically formed to hear appeals from voters whose names were rejected by judicial officers during the adjudication process. Out of 60 lakh cases marked "under adjudication," over 27 lakh names have been excluded from supplementary electoral lists, and these individuals are eligible to appeal to the tribunals.
In a related development, a three-member judges' committee was constituted by the Calcutta High Court on Tuesday, as directed by the Supreme Court, to draft Standard Operating Procedures for the tribunals' operations. This committee includes former Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court T.S. Sivagnanam, Justice Pradipta Roy, and Justice Pranab Kumar Deb.
Since the Joka institute was designated as the tribunal location, there has been a steady influx of people to the campus seeking resolution for their grievances, highlighting the critical need for these appellate mechanisms in the electoral process.
