The Supreme Court on Wednesday allowed a petitioner to withdraw a plea challenging the West Bengal government’s alleged move to deny ration benefits to people excluded during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The court granted permission to approach the Calcutta High Court instead.
A bench of Justices B.V. Nagarathna and Joymalya Bagchi passed the order after the petitioner’s counsel sought liberty to move the High Court. The petition was filed by the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, a West Bengal based farm labourers’ organisation.
The plea challenged a June 4 order issued by the West Bengal Food and Supplies Department, which directed officials to verify beneficiaries under the Public Distribution System (PDS) after the completion of the SIR process. It argued that people whose names were deleted or found ineligible during the electoral roll revision could lose access to subsidised ration.
During an earlier hearing, the Supreme Court questioned why the petitioner had directly approached it instead of the Calcutta High Court. While the petitioner’s counsel argued that the issue had wider implications, the court observed that the matter involved a separate cause of action and was more appropriate for the High Court to examine.
According to the state government, the verification exercise is aimed at identifying ineligible beneficiaries, including absentee, shifted, deceased and duplicate electors, as well as those whose claims were rejected during the SIR process. However, it has clarified that beneficiaries who have filed appeals before the SIR tribunal or submitted applications under the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) will continue receiving ration benefits until their cases are decided.
With the petition withdrawn, the matter will now be heard by the Calcutta High Court.
