A day when the Supreme Court asked the Election Commission of India to bring judicial officers from neighbouring states such as Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand to complete the SIR process, judicial officers deployed in four districts along the India-Bangladesh border reported security breaches and formally sought enhanced protection.
Image: IANS
A day when the Supreme Court asked the Election Commission of India to bring judicial officers from neighbouring states such as Odisha, Bihar and Jharkhand to complete the SIR process, judicial officers deployed in four districts along the India-Bangladesh border reported security breaches and formally sought enhanced protection.
Judicial officers posted in Malda, Murshidabad, North and South 24-Parganas, districts sharing extensive borders with Bangladesh, have sought additional, preferably central, security during the adjudication of voters’ documents flagged under the “logical discrepancy” category, citing fears of attacks by local residents.
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The judicial adjudication of voters’ documents identified under the “logical discrepancy” category began on Monday in poll-bound West Bengal, in line with the apex court’s directive issued last week mandating judicial oversight in the verification process.
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Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said the ECI has taken cognisance of the concerns raised by the judicial officers and has instructed the state police administration to provide comprehensive security cover to ensure the uninterrupted conduct of the adjudication exercise.
Officials indicated that out of the nearly 50 lakh voters’ documents referred for judicial adjudication across the state, the maximum number originates from Murshidabad district, though the Commission is yet to officially disclose the district-wise figures.
The CEO’s office insiders said the judicial officers have been clearly briefed to record detailed reasons for either accepting or rejecting each document placed before them.
They are also required to submit daily progress reports on the adjudication to the Calcutta High Court, which has been monitoring the process following the Supreme Court’s intervention.
As per the existing schedule, the final electoral roll for West Bengal is slated to be published on 28 February, excluding cases that are under judicial adjudication.
Supplementary electoral rolls will be issued after the completion of the process, incorporating eligible voters whose documents are cleared through judicial scrutiny.
Senior officials, however, acknowledged that a major concern remains whether the adjudication of a large volume of voters’ documents ~ estimated at around 50 lakh ~ can be completed within the stipulated deadline.
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