New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday directed the Election Commission of India (ECI) to submit details of appeals disposed of by tribunals hearing challenges to the deletion of names from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in West Bengal.

A bench headed by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant and comprising Justices Joymalya Bagchi and V. Mohana was hearing a plea filed by Congress leader Adhir Ranjan Chowdhury. He has sought the setting up of SIR tribunals at every block across West Bengal to ensure quicker disposal of appeals against electoral roll deletions.

“The process cannot be so slow that the next assembly elections would be due by the time the appeals are decided,” CJI Surya Kant said while hearing a petition challenging the slow disposal of appeals by people whose names were deleted from electoral rolls during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The Court said it would first assess the number of cases being handled and disposed of by the existing tribunals before considering issues such as infrastructure and timelines.

“Let us first see the volume of disposal,” the Court said.

The bench asked the ECI to provide details including the number of tribunals currently functioning, their working hours and the number of appeals disposed of.

The petitioner also sought a fixed timeline for deciding the appeals. However, the Court said it was not ready to prescribe one at this stage.

“Timeline? That we cannot fix; let us first see the quantum and correctness of tribunal decisions,” Justice Joymalya Bagchi said.

The disposal data will help the Court assess the workload and functioning of the existing tribunals before deciding whether further directions are needed.

Senior Advocate Vikas Ranjan Bhattacharya, appearing for another petitioner, also raised concerns about the infrastructure available to the tribunals. The Court said those issues would be considered after examining the disposal figures.

The hearing also saw submissions about the alleged denial of ration and other welfare benefits to people whose names have been deleted from the electoral rolls while their appeals remain pending.

On this issue, the Supreme Court said any challenge to the denial of social welfare benefits by the West Bengal government should be taken to the Calcutta High Court.

“If the State of West Bengal chooses to deny social benefits, that deserves to go to the High Court,” the Court said.

Chowdhury’s plea argues that block-level tribunals are necessary because people whose names have been removed from the electoral rolls may face difficulties in travelling to tribunals located far from their homes.

The Supreme Court has now directed the ECI to furnish the tribunal disposal data. The information will be examined before the Court considers further concerns relating to the functioning, infrastructure and timelines of the SIR tribunals.