New Delhi, 11 August (H.S.): The Supreme Court has questioned the functioning of tribunals dealing with matters related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, observing that their performance now requires review. A Bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant said that if appeals continue to be heard at the current pace, the next election could arrive before the proceedings are completed. The matter will next be heard on August 25.

During the hearing, Justice Joymalya Bagchi observed that merely filing appeals was not enough and that the number of cases actually disposed of was equally important.

The petition has been filed by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. During the hearing, counsel appearing for the petitioner submitted that attention also needed to be paid to the pace at which the cases were being disposed of. Producing documents before the court, the lawyer said that his appeal was still pending, as a result of which he was unable to receive ration under the public distribution system.

Justice Bagchi asked whether the state government could deny ration merely because a person’s name had been removed from the electoral roll. The court observed that the issue was separate and would be referred to the High Court. The Bench also said it would monitor the outcomes of the tribunals.

The petition stated that infrastructure in remote areas was inadequate, making it extremely difficult for people living there to travel to Kolkata to participate in the hearings.

The Supreme Court subsequently directed the Election Commission to submit comprehensive details of the number of cases that have so far been brought before the tribunals.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar