SIR 2.0 | Supreme Court asks Election Commission to consider extending deadline in Kerala

The bench took note of the fact that around 1.76 lakh state government employees are engaged in the poll process for the local bodies and hence, they may find it difficult to submit the enumeration forms by December 11, the deadline.

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to consider extending the deadline of December 11 by one more week for submitting enumeration forms in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala.

A bench comprising Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi took note of the submissions that local bodies elections in Kerala will take place on December 9 and 11 and counting of votes will conclude on December 13.

It also took note of the fact that around 1.76 lakh state government employees are engaged in the poll process for the local bodies in the state and hence, they may find it difficult to submit the enumeration forms by December 11, the deadline fixed by the poll body.

Noting the grievances, the CJI granted Kerala government and other petitioners the liberty to submit a formal representation to the EC by 5 pm on Wednesday seeking an extension of the SIR deadline.

It further asked the EC to consider the representation "sympathetically and objectively" and to take a decision within two days on the representation.

"If the date of enumeration is extended beyond December 13, then those left out due to local body polls can take part in it,” the CJI said.

“It is submitted that polling (for the local bodies) would be over on December 13. Shri Rakesh Dwivedi representing the Election Commission said that for smooth conduct of local bodies polls, the state has allocated 1,76,000 staff and 25,468 staff for the SIR which will be over by December 11.

"It is submitted that more than 98 per cent enumeration forms are distributed and more than 88 per cent are digitised. The SEC says all staff deployed by it are exempted from SIR duty,” the bench noted.

“Let the state of Kerala make a request to the Election Commission citing all the reasons for the extension of date, if not already given, by tomorrow 5 pm,” it said, adding that the poll body will consider it “sympathetically and make a decision by day after tomorrow”.

During the proceedings, the EC, represented by senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Maninder Singh, defended the ongoing drive, arguing that the local elections and the SIR are distinct exercises with separate workforces.

"The Kerala SEC has already exempted SIR staff from taking part in local election duties," Dwivedi submitted.

He said that the deadline for submitting the enumeration forms has already been extended from December 4 to 11.

The CJI noted a peculiar situation where the government body (Kerala SEC) appeared satisfied with the arrangement, yet political parties were raising objections.

"The government body does not have a problem, but the political parties have," the CJI said during the hearing.

The bench, however, emphasized that government staff should not be overburdened.