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Dozen Bengal Tribunal judges flag their EC portal: ‘Can’t serve notices, hold hearings or restore deleted voters’
India🏛️ PoliticsLean Progressive7 hr. ago

Dozen Bengal Tribunal judges flag their EC portal: ‘Can’t serve notices, hold hearings or restore deleted voters’

Judges from over a dozen tribunals in West Bengal, established under Supreme Court orders to process appeals related to deleted voters (including 27 lakh cases), have reported significant shortcomings in the digital portal provided by the Election Commission of India (EC). These include the inability to serve legal notices, upload necessary documents, conduct virtual hearings, or restore deleted voters. The issues were documented in a meeting on August 11 and shared with the EC and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. Despite previous reports highlighting similar problems with ECINET, the EC has yet to respond to these concerns. The lack of functionality undermines due process for affected voters.

More than a dozen Tribunal judges in West Bengal have raised serious concerns about the functionality of a digital portal managed by the Election Commission of India (EC). These judges, appointed under the Supreme Court's orders to process appeals related to the State Voter List (SIR), particularly those involving 27 lakh deleted electors, stated that the portal lacked essential features necessary for conducting their duties effectively. According to official records, the judges highlighted multiple shortcomings during a meeting held on August 11. They noted that the portal did not allow them to serve notices to parties, upload additional documents from appellants, conduct virtual hearings, or restore deleted voters. Furthermore, the portal failed to enable the downloading of Tribunal orders, which is critical for transparency and due process. The issues identified by the judges include the inability to issue notices despite repeated requests, the lack of a mechanism to secure additional documents, and the absence of tools for holding virtual hearings. Additionally, the portal does not permit the restoration of voters once an appeal is resolved, even if a judicial order mandates it. The judges also pointed out that there is no procedure for appellants to obtain copies of Tribunal orders, which contradicts the Supreme Court's directive dated April 1 requiring clear communication of reasons behind deletions or inclusions. The judges' concerns were shared with both the Election Commission of India and the Chief Justice of the High Court of Calcutta. However, as of October 1, no response had been received from either entity regarding the validity of these complaints or any proposed solutions. One judge, whose notice exposed the bulk removal of voters by the EC, has resigned from the SIR Tribunal. His resignation underscores growing dissatisfaction among judicial authorities over the EC's handling of voter list revisions. The situation highlights systemic challenges in the implementation of digital systems designed to manage electoral processes efficiently and transparently.

How this report was made. Objective News wrote this report from 2 source articles, using AI-assisted synthesis under our methodology. It is our own text, not a copy of any single outlet. Read our methodology.

Responsible editor: Matej BašaSpotted an error? Report it

2 reports

The Wire logoThe WireIndependentProgressiveFactual: no official source document/info detectedObjective 805 days ago
Judge Whose Notice Unveiled ECs Bulk Removal Appeals in Bengal Resigns from SIR Tribunal

A judge in India has resigned from the State Information Resource (SIR) Tribunal after his notice regarding the Election Commission of India's bulk removal of appeals in West Bengal came to light. The judge's actions reportedly exposed discrepancies in the handling of electoral appeals by the EC, leading to his resignation. The incident highlights concerns over transparency and accountability in the management of electoral processes. The resignation underscores ongoing scrutiny of the EC's procedures and their impact on democratic governance.

Bias read (Progressive): The article frames the judge's resignation as a consequence of exposing potential misconduct by the Election Commission, implying a critique of institutional practices. The focus on the EC's handling of appeals suggests a left-leaning perspective that questions authority and advocates for greater问责制

Why factuality: no official source document/info detected

Why objectivity (80): The article maintains a relatively neutral tone, presenting the event as a factual occurrence without overtly favoring any party. However, the phrasing 'Whose Notice Unveiled ECs Bulk Removal Appeals' may imply some level of judgment about the judge's role, potentially introducing subtle bias.

The Indian Express logoThe Indian ExpressIndependentCenter7 hr. ago
Dozen Bengal Tribunal judges flag their EC portal: ‘Can’t serve notices, hold hearings or restore deleted voters’

Judges from over a dozen tribunals in West Bengal, established under Supreme Court orders to process appeals related to deleted voters (including 27 lakh cases), have reported significant shortcomings in the digital portal provided by the Election Commission of India (EC). These include the inability to serve legal notices, upload necessary documents, conduct virtual hearings, or restore deleted voters. The issues were documented in a meeting on August 11 and shared with the EC and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court. Despite previous reports highlighting similar problems with ECINET, the EC has yet to respond to these concerns. The lack of functionality undermines due process for affected voters.

Bias read (Center): The article presents factual concerns raised by tribunal judges regarding technical limitations of an election-related digital platform. While the issue involves governance and public administration, the tone remains neutral, focusing on operational deficiencies rather than partisan critique. No明显的左

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