The Supreme Court on Monday directed the West Bengal government to ensure that 8,505 identified Group B officers report to their respective District Electoral Officers (DEOs) for election-related duties.
First, the bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant, along with Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N.V. Anjaria, asked the Election Commission of India (ECI) to allocate work to these officers, considering their preferences where possible. Next, the court instructed the ECI to review their biodata and experience to decide if they could serve as micro observers, with brief training provided before deployment.
Additionally, the court clarified that the final decision on appointments rests with the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). It also directed EROs to allow an extra week for voter document verification to strengthen transparency.
The matter stems from petitions challenging the SIR process, with allegations of procedural irregularities. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, during a previous hearing, claimed the exercise was targeting voters unfairly.
Earlier, on January 19, the apex court had asked the ECI to ensure transparent verification of voters flagged in the “logical discrepancy” list. On Monday, the state government confirmed it had handed over the list of 8,505 officers to the Commission.
The Solicitor General assisted the court, noting earlier concerns about shortages of trained personnel for election duties. The Supreme Court will continue hearing the case in the coming days.
