A tribunal will be formed to hear the appeals of people who have been excluded from the voter list in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. The Supreme Court has ordered to include former Chief Justice and former judges of the High Court in these tribunals. The court gave this order when the petitioners expressed concern over the lack of independent appeal system in West Bengal SIR.
Keep in mind that on the orders of the Supreme Court, the claims and objections related to SIR are being heard by judicial officers (lower court judges). In such a situation, the court believed that hearing on appeals against the decisions of judicial officers cannot be given to administrative officers, therefore, a bench of 3 judges headed by Chief Justice Surya Kant has ordered the formation of special tribunals.
The Supreme Court has said that the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court should appoint former High Court judges. Necessary number of former Chief Justices and former judges should be deployed for this work. Every bench of 2 former judges should be notified as a tribunal. This tribunal will take a decision on the appeal of those who did not find a place in the final list. The Supreme Court also said that the Chief Justice of the High Court should discuss with the Election Commission.
The honorarium of these former judges will be decided and the Election Commission will pay it.
During the hearing, the petitioners also raised the issue of the supplementary voter list not being published yet. He said that the Supreme Court had ordered that as the claims are settled, the supplementary list should be published. Since the publication of the final list on February 28, more than 10 lakh objections have been resolved. On this, the Supreme Court ordered that the Election Commission should publish the supplementary list after getting the approval of the Chief Justice of Calcutta High Court.
