The Supreme Court has made a significant comment regarding the ongoing petitions concerning the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in Bihar.
Patna: The Supreme Court on Wednesday again heard the petitions filed regarding the revision of the voter list in Bihar. During this session, the Court clarified that for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, voters are being offered a choice of 11 documents, whereas only 7 documents were considered in the previously conducted summary revision. The Supreme Court, highlighting this difference, stated that this change is in the interest of the voters and provides them with more options.
The Court's comment also indicated that the new process is convenient and favorable for the voter, which will facilitate the confirmation of their identity and eligibility. This decision reflects an effort to maintain transparency and a fair system in the process of revising the voter list in Bihar.
Court's Comment: The process is voter-friendly
The Supreme Court, during the hearing on Wednesday, said that voters have the option of submitting 11 documents to be included in the voter list under SIR in Bihar, whereas only 7 documents were required in the previously conducted Summary Revision. The Court said that this clearly indicates that the process is favorable and inclusive for the voters.
The bench said that the petitioners argued that not accepting Aadhaar cards is unfair. However, other alternative documents are available. This suggests that the process is designed to include all voters. The Supreme Court also clarified that it is mandatory for voters to submit any one of the 11 documents to be included in the voter list.
Singhvi's Argument: Document Coverage Not Sufficient
Senior Advocate Abhishek Singhvi, representing the petitioners, told the Court that despite the large number of documents, their coverage is limited. He cited the example of passports, which are available to only 1-2 percent of the people in Bihar. Singhvi said, "There is no clear provision for issuing permanent residence certificates in the state. Therefore, the availability of documents is very low and it does not cover the entire voter group."
On this, the bench said that the coverage of approximately 3.6 million passport holders in the state can be considered sufficient. Justice Bagchi added that feedback is taken from various government departments while preparing the list of documents to ensure maximum coverage.
Summary of the Previous Hearing
The Supreme Court had also clarified on August 12 that including or excluding someone from the voter list is the jurisdiction of the Election Commission. The Court reiterated the Election Commission's stance of not accepting Aadhaar and voter cards as proof of citizenship in SIR in Bihar. On the ongoing dispute over SIR, the Court said that it is largely a matter of lack of trust.
According to the Election Commission, out of the total 79 million voter population of Bihar, approximately 65 million people or their parents were not required to submit documents to be included in the 2003 voter list. This statement clarifies that most voters are already included in the list and the Special Intensive Revision is only applicable to voters with new or updated information.
