West Bengal

SC orders deployment of judicial officers in Bengal's SIR exercise

In an extraordinary order, the Supreme Court on Friday directed deployment of serving and former district judges to assist the Election Commission in the controversy-ridden special intensive revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. Ruing the "unfortunate blame game" between the EC and the TMC-led government, a bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi passed a slew of fresh directions to ensure completion of the special intensive revision (SIR) process in the state. The bench ordered deputation of judicial officers for adjudication of claims and objections of persons put under logical discrepancy list. It asked the Calcutta High Court chief justice to spare judicial officers and find former judges to assist in SIR work as it took serious note of state government not sparing enough grade 'A' officers for the revision exercise. The top court permitted the EC to publish a draft list of voters in the state by February 28 while allowing the p

NGT sets up committee to address alarming Sundarbans coastal erosion

Tribunal notes severe erosion in Ghoramara Island and directs a joint committee to prepare a comprehensive conservation and mitigation plan within three months

EC suspends 7 West Bengal officials for serious misconduct amid ongoing SIR

Using its powers under the electoral law, the Election Commission has suspended seven officials in West Bengal with immediate effect for serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory powers in connection with SIR. All the suspended officers were working as assistant electoral registration officers for the EC. Booth-level and electoral registration officers and their assistants are state government employees who work on deputation for the EC to update the voters' list and help hold elections. Quoting orders, EC officials said the poll authority has directed state Chief Secretary Nandini Chakravarty that disciplinary proceedings be initiated against these officials by their respective cadre controlling authorities immediately, without any delay and the Commission be apprised in this regard. The EC and the Trinamool Congress government in West Bengal have been at loggerheads over the ongoing special intensive revision of the voters' list.

SIR discrepancy hearings in Bengal end; final rolls to be released Feb 28

The hearing for 'logical discrepancy' cases in the SIR exercise concluded across West Bengal on Saturday, a senior EC official said, adding that the the final electoral rolls is scheduled to be published on February 28. The hearings, which addressed omissions and inconsistencies in name spellings, began on December 27 and continued across the state at camps set up in schools, club rooms and administrative buildings. "The poll officials will now scrutinise documents till February 21, and the final electoral rolls is slated for publication on February 28," the official said. Any pending data for Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) must be uploaded by Monday. During the enumeration exercise, around 58 lakh names (deceased/duplicate/shifted voters) were referred as fit for omission and kept out of the draft electoral rolls published in December. The last date of publication of the final electoral rolls was February 14, which was later extended by the EC to February 28.

Preserve SIR records for 5 years: CEC Gyanesh Kumar to Bengal officials

Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Friday directed that all records related to the SIR of electoral rolls be preserved for five years and warned of strict disciplinary action against officials found responsible for errors or deliberate lapses, an official said. At a meeting held virtually with district magistrates (DMs), electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) of Bengal, Kumar said decisions taken during the SIR process would remain stored in the commission's database for many years. "These records will not remain for one or two years, but for several years. If any foreign national's name is found in the voter list in future, the officer concerned will face action," Kumar was quoted as saying. In a stern message to the district election officers (DEOs), he cautioned that the poll panel would be empowered to initiate action even years later. "Do not assume you can escape. Even after two years, the commission can proceed

I-PAC raids: SC adjourns ED plea against Mamata's 'interference' to Feb 18

The Supreme Court on Tuesday adjourned to February 18 the hearing on a plea moved by the ED alleging obstruction by the West Bengal government, including by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, in its search operation at the I-PAC office and the premises of its director in connection with an alleged coal pilferage scam. A bench of Justices Prashant Kumar Mishra and Sandeep Mehta deferred the matter after it was informed that senior advocate Kapil Sibal was unwell. Solicitor General Tushar Mehta agreed to the adjournment. The top court on January 15 said the West Bengal chief minister's alleged "obstruction" in ED's probe is "very serious" and agreed to examine if a state's law-enforcing agencies can interfere with any central agency's probe into any serious offence as it stayed FIRs against the agency's officials who raided political consultancy I-PAC on January 8. The top court, while staying the FIRs filed in West Bengal against ED officials, also directed the state police to protect

SC limits micro-observers' role in Bengal SIR, extends scrutiny deadline

The Supreme Court clarified that micro-observers have no adjudicatory role in West Bengal's voter roll revision, allowed their replacement with Group B officers and extended scrutiny timelines

Won't allow impediments to SIR, says SC; extends Bengal voter list deadline

The top court extended the deadline for publication of the final voter list in West Bengal by one week

Bengal Budget signals poll-year outreach: Why experts are hardly surprised

The Mamata Banerjee-led TMC govt continues to focus on women-centric and welfare schemes, ahead of crucial elections

West Bengal CEO asks ECI to extend SIR electoral roll hearings by 7 days

West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal on Saturday requested the Election Commission of India to extend the final date of hearing under SIR of electoral rolls by seven days, after several district election officers reported delays in completion of hearings, verification, and data uploading. The deadline for the hearing under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was February 7. Agarwal told reporters that the appeal was made following inputs from seven to eight districts where different stages of the process were still pending. "I have appealed to extend the last date of hearing for seven days after receiving inputs from seven to eight district election officers. In some places, the process of hearing is yet to be over, while in others uploading, verification, and final decisions by the AEROs and EROs are still pending," Agarwal said. He said if allowed, hearings will now continue till February 14, adding that the final electoral roll, which was earlier

Dear Narendrabhai, can you again restore strategic stability to our east?

By next weekend, Bangladesh will have an elected government. This is India's moment to reboot broken ties by moderating the 'ghuspethiya' rhetoric in poll-bound West Bengal and Assam

Mamata seeks rollback of BSF jurisdiction expansion over border fencing

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday said her government had no objection in providing land for border fencing, but insisted that the Centre must first roll back the "arbitrary" decision to expand the BSF's jurisdiction in the state from 15 km to 50 km. Speaking in the assembly, amid allegations the state government was not cooperating in providing land for fencing along the India-Bangladesh border, Banerjee asserted that land had already been allotted to all central organisations and agencies, including the BSF. "Land will not be a problem. You will get land. But, first change the arbitrary rule of increasing BSF's jurisdiction (area) from 15 km to 50 km," she said during discussions on the governor's address. The chief minister also claimed that Home Minister Amit Shah, who recently alleged that the state was not providing land for border fencing, is not furnishing the full data of land given by the West Bengal government.

West Bengal widens social sector schemes ambit ahead of Assembly poll

Vote-on-account boosts Lakshmir Bhandar payouts, expands welfare coverage and raises social sector spending as West Bengal heads into election season

SC directs West Bengal govt to pay DA to its employees from 2008-2019

Observing that dearness allowance is a legally enforceable right, the Supreme Court on Thursday directed the West Bengal government to pay it to its employees for the 2008 to 2019 period. A bench of Justices Sanjay Karol and Prashant Kumar Mishra directed the West Bengal government to pay 25 per cent of the outstanding DA to its employees by March 6. "To receive dearness allowance is a legally enforceable right that has accrued in favour of the respondents-employees of the State of West Bengal...The employees of the appellant-State shall be entitled to release of arrears in accordance with this judgment for the time 2008-2019," the bench said. The top court said dearness allowance emerges as a practical instrument of protection in the hands of the welfare state, which safeguards its employees from the adverse effects of rising prices. Dearness Allowance is not an additional benefit but a means to maintain a minimum standard of living, it said. Considering the financial implication

West Bengal govt moves resolution in assembly over 'hardships' due to SIR

The West Bengal government on Thursday moved a resolution in the assembly over alleged hardships being faced by people due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. Moving the resolution under Rule 169, State Parliamentary Affairs Minister Shovandeb Chattopadhyay claimed that the SIR process led to harassment of voters and the death of 107 people due to anxiety over the exercise. Criticising the Election Commission, he asserted it had "turned into a commission of harassment" ahead of the assembly polls in the state. Speaker Biman Banerjee, however, rejected the proposal, contending that since the matter was pending before the apex court, the assembly could not deliberate on it.

SIR not for inclusion of voters but deletion: Mamata Banerjee before SC

West Bengal Chief Minister alleges voter exclusion and selective enforcement as Supreme Court seeks Election Commission's response on SIR process

SIR row: SC notice to ECI after Mamata Banerjee's 'save democracy' plea

The Supreme Court issued notices to the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal on CM Mamata Banerjee's plea

Mamata reaches SC ahead of hearing on pleas against SIR of electoral rolls

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Wednesday reached the Supreme Court ahead of a crucial hearing on the petitions challenging the Election Commission's ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state. The chief minister has also moved an interlocutory application seeking permission to appear and argue in person. Banerjee is personally present in court room one along with her lawyers. A gate pass was issued in the chief minister's name on Tuesday. As per the apex court website, a bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and Vipul M Pancholi is scheduled to hear the petitions of Banerjee and three others filed by Mostari Banu and TMC MPs Derek O'Brien and Dola Sen.

Trinamool will support any motion that seeks to remove CEC: Mamata Banerjee

West Bengal CM says Opposition lacks numbers to remove CEC but wants issue on record; alleges bias in special revision of electoral rolls

'Agitated' Mamata Banerjee leaves meeting with CEC in a huff: EC officials

West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday left the meeting with the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar here on the SIR matter in a huff without listening to the response of the EC top brass on the issues raised by her, EC officials said. The CEC told the TMC leaders that the "rule of law will prevail" and anybody taking the law into their own hands will be dealt with strictly in accordance with the provisions of law and powers vested in the Election Commission (EC), they said. Their reaction came as Banerjee lashed out at the EC after emerging from the meeting, accusing the poll panel of acting as a "dalal" (middleman) of the BJP. Wearing black shawls as a mark of "protest", Banerjee along with some "SIR-affected" families and party leaders met Chief Election Commissioner Kumar and fellow ECs here, her party said. First TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee spoke, followed by Mamata Banerjee, the officials said, adding that the points raised by them were duly noted down b