NEW DELHI: The West Bengal government has informed the Election Commission that it is ready to make available 8,505 Group B officers of the state or its instrumentalities for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state, sources said.
This assumes significance as the counsel appearing for the poll panel had argued in the Supreme Court on February 4 that the West Bengal government provided the services of only 80 Grade 2 officers for overseeing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise.
A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justices Joymalya Bagchi and N V Anjaria is slated to hear on Monday a batch of pleas, including the one filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, relating to the ongoing SIR process in the state.
Sources said that Banerjee, who on February 4 became the first serving chief minister to argue in the top court, may come to the apex court on Monday again.
They said the West Bengal government has informed the poll panel that it is ready and willing to make available 8,505 Group B officers of the state or its instrumentalities for the SIR exercise there.
On February 4, senior advocate Rakesh Dwivedi, appearing for the poll panel, told the apex court that the state had provided the services of only 80 Grade 2 officers, such as SDMs, for overseeing the SIR process.
Dwivedi also said that only low-ranked government employees, such as Anganwadi workers, were provided by the West Bengal government for the exercise.
Banerjee had countered the EC's charges and said the state had provided whatever was sought by the poll panel.
The chief minister had vehemently urged the top court to intervene in the SIR process in West Bengal to "save democracy", alleging that the state was being targeted and its people were being "bulldozed' by the ECI.
The top court took note of Banerjee's petition against the SIR exercise and said that genuine persons must remain on the electoral rolls.
It issued notices and sought replies to the petition by February 9 from the Election Commission and the chief electoral officer of West Bengal.
The bench also asked the poll panel to instruct booth-level officers and electoral roll officers to be more sensitive while issuing notices on grounds of minor discrepancies, such as mismatched spelling of names, etc.
On January 19, the top court passed a slew of directions, observing that the SIR process in West Bengal should be transparent and not cause any inconvenience.
