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Bengal Tribunal Judges Flag Major Gaps in EC Appeals Portal
Some voters in West Bengal were removed from the voter lists and were allowed to appeal.
Judges were appointed to consider those appeals.
The judges said the website they were given was missing important tools.
For example, it could not help them send notices or let voters download the judges’ decisions.
The judges also said extra documents and appeals filed on paper were difficult to handle.
These problems could make it harder for voters to get a fair hearing.
The judges shared their concerns with election officials and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court.
The Election Commission reported that many appeals had been filed, but relatively few had been decided by September 10.
Judges from more than a dozen of West Bengal’s 19 appellate tribunals said the Election Commission portal lacked key functions.
They reported being unable to serve notices through the portal, upload additional documents, hold virtual hearings, restore voters, or provide order copies.
The judges also warned that physically filed appeals were not properly digitised or tracked, risking unfair treatment of appellants.
Their concerns were recorded in meeting minutes dated August 11 and sent to the Election Commission and the Chief Justice of the Calcutta High Court; the Commission and court registrar did not respond to the newspaper’s inquiry.
The Supreme Court-ordered process concerns appeals involving deleted voters; the EC said 38.31 lakh appeals had been filed and 1.26 lakh disposed of by September 10.
- Who
- Judges serving on West Bengal’s appellate tribunals and voters appealing their removal from electoral rolls.
- What
- Tribunal judges reported that the Election Commission’s portal lacked tools needed to process appeals and ensure due process.
- Where
- West Bengal, India.
- When
- The concerns were recorded in meeting minutes dated August 11; the EC’s appeal figures were reported as of September 10.
- Why
- The judges said portal limitations were slowing appeal decisions and obstructing notices, hearings, document handling, and communication of orders.
Key facts
- Tribunals notified
- 19 single-member appellate tribunals were notified on March 20.
- Tribunal judges’ meeting
- The concerns were recorded in minutes dated August 11.
- Appeals filed
- The Election Commission reported 38.31 lakh appeals.
- Appeals disposed of
- The Election Commission said 1.26 lakh appeals had been disposed of by September 10.
- Appeals by deleted voters
- 22.21 lakh appeals were filed by voters whose names had been deleted.
- Appeals against inclusions
- 16.10 lakh appeals sought deletion of names included on the rolls.
- Deleted electors
- The article says 27.16 lakh electors were deleted after judicial officers reviewed cases.
Quotes
A Tribunal judge
A Tribunal judge who wrote to the Calcutta High Court Chief Justice about the appeals process.
“Absence of such a mechanism to notify the parties to the appeal is adversely affecting the pace of disposal of appeals.”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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