'Government staff should not be overburdened': SC asks for consideration of SIR deadline extension in Kerala

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

A bench of Chief Justice Surya Kant and Justice Joymalya Bagchi noted that local bodies elections in Kerala will be held on December 9 and 11, with counting scheduled for December 13.

The court observed that around 1.76 lakh state government employees are engaged in the local body poll process, making it difficult for many to meet the December 11 deadline for submitting SIR forms.

Taking note of these concerns, the CJI granted the Kerala government and other petitioners liberty to submit a formal representation to the Election Commission by 5 pm on Wednesday seeking an extension. The bench directed the EC to consider the request “sympathetically and objectively” and take a decision within two days.

If the SIR deadline is extended beyond December 13, those unable to participate due to poll duties would get an opportunity to do so, the bench noted.

The court recorded the EC’s submissions, placed by senior advocates Rakesh Dwivedi and Maninder Singh, that the local body elections and the SIR are separate exercises with distinct workforces. Dwivedi said the Kerala State Election Commission has already exempted SIR staff from local election duties, adding that the SIR deadline had earlier been extended from December 4 to 11.

The CJI also highlighted what he called a peculiar situation: while the Kerala SEC was satisfied with the arrangements, political parties had raised objections. The bench, however, underscored that government staff should not be overburdened.