Software ‘ready’, office space to be ‘finalised’: Bengal SIR hits tribunal bump now
Voters who want to contest their status after adjudication have to apply to these special tribunals. Only, none set up still
As per EC figures, the highest number of cases under adjudication are in Murshidabad district (11 lakh), followed by Malda (8.28 lakh), South 24 Parganas (5.22 lakh) and North 24 Parganas (5 lakh). Jhargram and Kalimpong had the least number of pending cases at 6,682 and 6,790, respectively.
With West Bengal poised for the second Supplementary List of voters after the adjudication process in West Bengal, a step was taken towards setting up tribunals for those “rejected”, even as elections loom near.
After a nearly three-hour meeting at the Calcutta High Court, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal Manoj Agarwal said that the software required by such voters to challenge the adjudication ruling was “ready” and “would be working within a couple of days”. He said the West Bengal government had also identified the space for such tribunals to operate from every district. “Now, the High Court will decide.”
Meanwhile, there is no clarity yet on the first Supplementary List, four days after it was released on Monday midnight, with sources in the EC putting the number of those rejected at 13 lakh of the 29 lakh adjudicated – nearly 40%.
The EC has said that after the adjudication process, rejected voters would have the option of appearing before tribunals. Nineteen tribunals are to be set up, one for each electoral district, to hear pleas of voters. While the Supreme Court ordered the setting up of the tribunals, the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice recommended members for them, including former judges and a former Chief Justice.
Above the tribunals would be the appellate tribunals, which would hear cases of voters still aggrieved after the tribunal orders, and these are yet to be formed either.
On Monday, after the EC said it had released the first Supplementary List, CEO Agarwal said: “It’s only after the state government hands over offices for tribunals can these start functioning and receive applications from voters.”
About not putting up booth-wise lists showing who figures among the rejected and those included, an EC source said electors can individually check their names on the ECI portal.
As per EC figures, the highest number of cases under adjudication are in Murshidabad district (11 lakh), followed by Malda (8.28 lakh), South 24 Parganas (5.22 lakh) and North 24 Parganas (5 lakh). Jhargram and Kalimpong had the least number of pending cases at 6,682 and 6,790, respectively.
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