Supreme Court Directive on Voter Documents Fails to Resolve Ground-Level Confusion in Bengal
On Monday, the Supreme Court of India reiterated its clear instruction that all thirteen documents specified by the Election Commission, along with the Madhyamik admit card, must be considered by Electoral Registration Officers when deciding on objections received during the ongoing Summary Revision of electoral rolls. This directive was intended to standardize the verification process and eliminate arbitrary demands for additional paperwork.
Persistent Confusion at Hearing Centers
However, the scramble and uncertainty over the correct set of documents, which has plagued most Special Intensive Revision hearings in West Bengal since they commenced on December 27, remained glaringly evident even on Tuesday. Despite the Supreme Court's explicit order, hearing centers showed little to no change in their procedures.
Electors continued to report that AEROs and EROs were asking for one or two more documents even after they presented another EC-specified document. The hearings, which will conclude in just four more days on February 14, have already seen approximately 1.4 crore out of 1.5 crore notified individuals attend proceedings as of Tuesday.
Voter Experiences Highlight Systemic Issues
Shyamal Roy, a state government employee from Tollygunge, shared his frustrating experience. "I was called for a hearing today because my name appeared simply as 'Shyam' in the records. Following the 14-document list on the hearing notice, I first produced my state government-issued ID card. But officials told me that was insufficient and demanded my matriculation certificate," he recounted after attending a hearing at Survey Building to resolve a logical discrepancy.
Roy added that he had previously accompanied his wife through a similar ordeal, where she struggled to assemble all required documents. His surprise at seeing no practical change following the Supreme Court order underscores the disconnect between judicial directives and ground-level implementation.
Genuine Voters Left in Limbo
The future of numerous "genuine voters" now hangs in the balance, according to Booth Level Officers. These individuals, unable to produce any of the thirteen documents specifically listed for SIR purposes, have instead presented alternative identification such as Aadhaar cards, PAN cards, voter cards, or driving licenses during hearings to address logical discrepancies.
BLOs have stated they are explicitly forbidden from uploading any documents not featured on the EC's list of fourteen approved papers for the Special Intensive Revision. "I have electors who possess no documents other than voter, Aadhaar, and PAN cards. They are genuine voters who attended hearings with these documents, and the EROs didn't provide clear guidance. I was instructed not to upload any documents outside the EC's specified list," one BLO revealed anonymously.
Official Stance on Document Verification
An Assistant Electoral Registration Officer defended the process, stating, "Documents are being meticulously checked to verify voter authenticity according to Election Commission norms. We are conducting these hearings strictly in compliance with EC instructions to ensure electoral integrity."
This rigid adherence to the document list, despite the Supreme Court's clarification, continues to create significant hurdles for legitimate voters attempting to resolve discrepancies in their electoral records during this critical revision period.
