The Calcutta High Court on Monday directed the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) appellate tribunal in West Bengal to urgently hear applications filed by Haj pilgrims whose names have been excluded from the electoral rolls. Presiding over the matter, Justice Krishna Rao also advised the tribunal to take a decision on their pleas within two weeks, if possible.
The intervention comes amid mounting concerns over delays in the disposal of appeals filed by voters whose names were placed under adjudication during the SIR exercise in West Bengal.
The appellate tribunals, comprising retired judges, were constituted following directions from the Supreme Court to adjudicate claims and objections arising from the revision of electoral rolls.
Haj pilgrimage at risk due to voter roll exclusion?
The petitioners approached the High Court, alleging that the absence of their names from the electoral rolls was creating difficulties in obtaining passports and visas required for their Haj pilgrimage.
According to the pilgrims, they had already submitted applications before the SIR appellate tribunal, accompanied by the necessary documents, seeking inclusion of their names in the voter list. However, they alleged that their pleas had neither been heard nor decided, leaving their travel plans uncertain.
When the matter came up for hearing on Monday, Justice Rao asked the tribunal to prioritise the applications and ensure their expeditious disposal.
The judge advised the tribunal to communicate its decisions at the earliest and observed that, if possible, the cases should be resolved within two weeks.
The court's intervention is significant for the petitioners, whose preparations for the pilgrimage depend on the timely completion of documentation and related formalities.
Over 37 lakh SIR appeals remain pending
The High Court's direction comes against the backdrop of a substantial backlog of cases before the SIR appellate tribunals in West Bengal.
Last week, the Election Commission submitted district-wise data before the Supreme Court on the number of applications received and disposed of by the tribunals.
According to the Commission, a total of 38,31,429 applications had been filed before the tribunals as of September 10. Of these, only 1,26,194 had been disposed of by that date, leaving 37,05,235 applications pending.
The figures have raised concerns over the pace of adjudication, with the pending cases involving voters seeking inclusion in or challenging their exclusion from the electoral rolls.
The data also indicated that, if applications continue to be disposed of at the prevailing rate, completing the exercise could take more than 12 years.
