New Delhi

Supreme Court of India on Wednesday expressed satisfaction over the progress of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, noting that around 47.4 lakh of the 60 lakh objections have been disposed of as of March 31.

A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said it was “optimistic” about the pace of the exercise, with nearly 1.75–2 lakh cases being decided daily.

The court was informed that the Election Commission of India has set up 19 appellate tribunals, headed by former high court chief justices and judges, to handle appeals related to inclusion and exclusion in voter lists.

These tribunals will begin functioning soon after orientation sessions in Kolkata and will have access to all records, including reasons documented by around 700 judicial officers involved in the process.

The bench directed that parties must be provided with reasons for decisions and asked tribunals to follow principles of natural justice while verifying any fresh documents submitted.

The court also instructed authorities to ensure timely payment of honorarium to judicial officers and tribunal members and to make adequate arrangements for tribunal infrastructure.

Noting that the remaining objections are likely to be resolved by April 7, the court scheduled the next hearing for April 6, including petitions filed by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee.

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While some petitioners raised concerns over a high exclusion rate and procedural issues, the bench termed certain apprehensions as “hyper-technical” and advised parties to approach the appellate tribunals for redressal.