Will Not Allow Any Impediment to SIR Exercise in West Bengal: SC

The Supreme Court of India has firmly stated that no individual or authority should create obstacles in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The observation came while hearing petitions, including one filed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee , who raised concerns that the revision exercise could lead to large-scale deletion of legitimate voters. The Court, however, clarified that while the SIR must continue without hindrance, mass removal of voters will not be permitted , and the process must strictly adhere to established legal norms.

A Bench comprising Justice Surya Kant , Justice Joymalya Bagchi , and Justice N V Anjaria emphasized that micro-observers appointed for the revision have only a monitoring role and do not possess authority to order inclusion or deletion of voter names. The final decision, the Court reiterated, rests exclusively with Electoral Roll Officers under the supervision of the Election Commission of India . The judges underlined that the SIR is intended to ensure that voter rolls are accurate and updated, and that the process must be conducted honestly and transparently.

During the hearing, the Court examined an affidavit filed by the Election Commission which mentioned incidents where SIR-related notices were allegedly destroyed by miscreants. The Commission also informed the Court that no FIR had been registered so far in connection with those incidents. Taking note, the Bench directed the Director General of Police of West Bengal to submit an affidavit explaining the situation. Appearing for the Union government, Solicitor General Tushar Mehta submitted that the message must be clear that constitutional procedures apply uniformly across all states.

The Court also reviewed the West Bengal government’s submission of a list of 8,505 Group-B officers proposed to assist in SIR work. It said these officers may be trained and deployed as required, but their duties and operational framework would be decided by the Election Commission. Once again, the Bench stressed that ultimate authority over additions or deletions in the electoral roll lies only with Electoral Roll Officers. Senior advocate Shyam Divan , representing Mamata Banerjee, argued that procedural discrepancies could result in eligible voters being removed, but the Court responded firmly that large-scale deletions would not be allowed.

Meanwhile, the revision exercise has triggered an unexpected administrative development in Kolkata. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has reported a dramatic rise in applications for domicile (residence) certificates, with more than 18,600 applications submitted within one and a half months compared with a normal monthly average of fewer than 200. Officials stated that address verification has become central to the SIR process, prompting many voters to obtain domicile certificates as proof of residence.

Out of the total applications received, 18,482 were forwarded to city police for field verification, and more than 16,500 reports have already been received. Based on these verifications, over 14,500 domicile certificates have been issued, while more than 1,200 applications were rejected due to adverse findings. Following directions from the Chief Minister to ensure public convenience, special counters have been opened at municipal and borough offices. Civic authorities believe the demand for such certificates may continue to grow as the electoral roll revision progresses, highlighting how the SIR process is directly affecting everyday administrative systems and citizens’ documentation needs.