Do Not Hinder SIR Process": Supreme Court Directs States, Extends Deadline in Bengal

The Supreme Court of India made significant observations on Monday during a hearing regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process being conducted in West Bengal. The court issued a firm directive to state governments, instructing them not to create any obstacles or hindrances to the SIR process. The bench, led by CJI Surya Kant, stated that if any improvements or "betterments" are required in the procedure, the court itself would intervene and provide necessary directions. Addressing the timeline, the Supreme Court announced an extension of the SIR process in West Bengal by another week, rescheduling it to run from February 14 to February 21. The Supreme Court has issued a stern warning to state governments against obstructing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process being conducted in West Bengal. A bench led by CJI Surya Kant clarified that any necessary clarifications or improvements to the process would be handled by the court itself and that states must not interfere. Observing that 8,500 officers are involved in this exercise, the court questioned the Bengal government over the delay in submitting the names of Group-B officers to act as micro-observers. While the state government raised concerns regarding the verification of voters' locality, the Supreme Court decided to extend the deadline for the SIR process by one week, moving it to February 21.