It’s a year since SIR began in Bengal. Tribunals now count on pick-up post-Diwali

Exactly one year after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began in West Bengal on November 4, 2025, 19 judicial tribunals, headed by retired judges, are optimistic that promised changes to their functioning will commence post-Diwali. However, with the fate of over 35 lakh voters still unresolved, tribulations persist.

Justice Biswajit Basu, a third retired judge, recently resigned citing personal reasons, as earlier, former chief justice T S Sivagananam and Justice Indrajit Chatterjee had done so. Chatterjee, who initially resigned but later agreed to stay on, cited dissatisfaction over the tribunal infrastructure, particularly after Aadhaar identification became mandatory for accessing the Election Commission of India (ECI) portal.

This demand, among others, was raised by a committee representing the tribunals to the ECI, yet unimplemented. The tribunals currently operate from a compact 12X10 sq ft room, with limited breaks and no separate toilets for the ex-judges. Despite the tribunals continuing to function, their size and conditions have not changed significantly.

The Indian Express reported last month that tribunal work had virtually stalled due to the chiefs' refusal to use Aadhaar for ECI portal log-in, citing privacy concerns. While awaiting the implementation of the agreed-upon changes, the tribunals are diligently processing applications and maintaining physical records, anticipating the activation of the new portal log-in.

This unique tribunal system in Bengal, mandated by the Supreme Court in March, initially reviewed 27.18 lakh voters' cases, addressing discrepancies flagged by the ECI's centralized software. Of the 60.06 lakh originally flagged, 38.31 lakh appeals have been filed, with only 1.26 lakh disposed of as of September 10.