Supreme Court directs petitioner on Bengal ration-SIR linkage plea to move High Court
The Supreme Court on Tuesday advised petitioners to first approach the Calcutta High Court with a plea challenging a West Bengal government order that allegedly links the removal of names from voters' lists to access to subsidised food grains under the Public Distribution System (PDS) and the Annapurna Yojana.
A bench led by Justice B.V. Nagarathna heard an oral mention by the Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, an independent trade union representing agricultural labourers, marginal farmers, and sharecroppers. The union argued that the June 4 order effectively uses outcomes of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls as a basis to deny food security benefits to lakhs of people.
The Public Distribution System is a welfare mechanism under the National Food Security Act, 2013, aimed at providing essential food grains to economically vulnerable households. The Annapurna Yojana provides financial assistance to economically disadvantaged women. The petitioners contended that linking these schemes to electoral roll verification violates the Act's purpose and denies beneficiaries a fair hearing before removal.
Advocate Prasanna S., representing the union, submitted that the order reflects an “emerging pattern” among states where SIR outcomes are used to exclude people from welfare schemes. He argued that the June 4 order directs authorities to delete beneficiaries based on classifications from the SIR, introducing criteria unrelated to food security. The union claimed this could lead to the inactivation of ration cards for 35 to 60 lakh people in West Bengal.
The Supreme Court, however, observed that it must first determine whether the cause of action arises from the SIR exercise itself or from other policy reasons. The bench remarked that the petitioners should ideally move the Calcutta High Court with their grievance. The court did not issue any interim direction but allowed the petitioners to approach the High Court.
