SC Orders Judges For Bengal SIR

Apex court suggests seeking help from Jharkhand, Odisha over officer shortage

February 24, 2026: The Supreme Court of India on Tuesday directed the deployment of civil judges to expedite the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists in West Bengal, citing a severe shortage of judicial officers. A bench led by Chief Justice Surya Kant said that if officers remain insufficient, assistance should be sought from neighbouring states such as Jharkhand and Odisha. The directions came after the Calcutta High Court informed the apex court that it lacked adequate personnel to clear the backlog before the February 28 deadline for publishing the final SIR list.

The dispute stems from differences between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission of India over the appointment of officers to scrutinise objections and claims. The state had been asked to provide Class 2 officers, but disagreements arose after the Commission appointed Special Role Officers (SROs), prompting legal challenges. The Supreme Court earlier directed that judicial officers undertake the task, and noted that nearly 50 lakh claims require examination. The bench observed that even with 250 district and additional district judges disposing of 250 cases per day, the process would take around 80 days.

Issuing fresh directions, the court said civil judges with over three years’ experience should also be deployed. If shortages persist, the Chief Justice of the High Court may request judicial officers from Jharkhand and Odisha, with travel and stay expenses to be borne by the Election Commission. While the final voter list is due on February 28, the Commission has been permitted to publish a supplementary list thereafter, with names included in it treated as part of the final roll.