Judicial Surge: Strengthening Electoral Roll Accuracy in West Bengal

In a significant move to enhance the accuracy of West Bengal's voter rolls, nearly 200 judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha are anticipated to assist in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. This deployment is a response to a Supreme Court recommendation, intending to manage 80 lakh claims and objections currently under review.

The Supreme Court, on February 24, endorsed the inclusion of civil judges to handle the heavy workload of claims and objections related to logical discrepancies. These discrepancies predominantly include mismatches in progeny linking and irregularities in the voter list from 2002. With around 250 district judges already working on this task, the addition of judicial officers aims to streamline operations.

Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal assured of necessary infrastructure arrangements for the incoming officers, despite a few initial challenges. This commitment ensures a smooth transition and effective adjudication process, crucial for maintaining the integrity of the electoral roll in West Bengal.