Bihar SIR: SC declines to extend claim submission deadline

New Delhi, Sep 1 (IANS) The Supreme Court on Monday declined to extend the September 1 deadline set by the Election Commission of India (ECI) for filing claims and objections to the draft electoral rolls published in Bihar after the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

The development came after the ECI assured the apex court that even objections sent after September 1, but before the last date of nominations, would still be considered for inclusion in the voters’ list.

A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi was hearing a clutch of applications filed by the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) and other political parties seeking an extension of the poll body’s deadline for submitting the claim form.

In its order, the Justice Kant-led Bench noted, "The process of consideration of claims will continue till the last date of nominations. Let the claims/objections be continued to be filed."

Further, it asked the Bihar State Legal Services Authority to depute para legal volunteers (PLVs) to assist voters and political parties in submitting online claims, objections or corrections.

The Justice Kant-led Bench directed PLVs to submit a confidential report to the respective District Legal Services Authority, which may then be collated at the Bihar State Legal Services Authority level for further consideration of the top court.

According to the ECI, the draft rolls, published on August 1, are undergoing scrutiny through claims and objections filed by political parties, electors, and Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

The poll body reported receiving 33,326 claims for inclusion and 2,07,565 objections for exclusion, of which 38,342 have already been disposed of. Over 15.32 lakh new electors aged 18 or above have submitted Form-6 applications, with 81,073 cases disposed of within seven days, it added.

The main batch of petitions challenging the SIR, launched on June 24, is coming up for hearing on September 8.

--IANS

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