The Election Commission (EC) is considering postponing the finalisation of voter lists in West Bengal after the Special Intensive Revision(SIR). As per the schedule, the poll body was set to publish the final electoral rolls by February 14, but the exercise is likely to be deferred now.
An official, cited by PTI, said that multiple instructions from the Supreme Court have made it difficult to stick to the current schedule.
"Implementing all the Supreme Court's instructions within the existing timeline is challenging. Additional time may be required," he said.
Earlier, the EC had set February 7 as the last date for hearings and February 14 for the publication of the final electoral rolls, after an initial extension. The schedule has come under scrutiny following a petition from the Trinamool Congress, which raised concerns over transparency and irregularities in the SIR.
SC issues directions to EC
The Supreme Court, acting on the petition, issued several directives, including the requirement to publish lists of voters who were called for hearings due to discrepancies. These lists must be displayed at the ward and panchayat levels. The court also instructed that voters be issued acknowledgement receipts when submitting documents.
EC officials said that complying with these directions across the state would require extra administrative effort. Displaying local lists and issuing receipts to each voter would involve logistical changes that cannot be hurried, the official noted.
The draft electoral rolls were published on December 16, with the window for claims and objections initially open until January 15, later extended to January 19. Hearings are currently scheduled to continue until February 7.
A decision on whether the February 14 deadline will be retained or revised is expected once the EC reviews the progress of compliance with the Supreme Court’s guidelines.
