NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission to display names of those on the “logical discrepancies” list at gram panchayat bhavans and block offices to enable them to submit documents and objections during the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in various states.
After the completion of SIR in Bihar, the second phase of the exercise is underway in nine states — Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal — and three UTs – Andaman and Nicobar, Lakshadweep and Puducherry.
Passing general directions for the states where SIR is underway, a Bench of Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that the EC notices had been issued for three categories – mapped, unmapped and logical discrepancy.
The Bench had passed similar directions on January 19 on the pleas pertaining to SIR in West Bengal.
Besides, the Bench reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas, including the one filed by the Association for Democratic Reforms (ADR), challenging the SIR of electoral rolls in Bihar.
The top court is examining if the poll panel has powers under Article 326 of the Constitution, the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Rules made under it to carry out the SIR on such a large form.
Thursday’s order came after senior advocates Kapil Sibal demanded, on behalf of the DMK, that the electors put in the “logical discrepancies” list be given adequate time and opportunity to claim inclusion in the electoral rolls in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.
The petitioners alleged arbitrariness and procedural irregularities in the SIR exercise in Tamil Nadu, including those related to the “logical discrepancies” category.
The top court said under the ‘logical discrepancy’ category, mismatches in father’s name or parents’ age, and a difference in the age of the grandparents were noticed by the authorities.
“The documents brought on record by the parties indicate that, within the category of logical discrepancies include, inter alia, a mismatch of the father’s name, a mismatch of parents’ ages, a difference in parents’ ages of more than 50 years, a difference in grandparents’ ages of less than 40 years, and those having more than six progenies,” the Bench noted.
“The names of the persons figuring in the logical discrepancies may be displayed at the gram panchayat bhawans, public places in every taluka (sub-division), as well as in the ward offices in urban areas,” it ordered.