The hon’ble Supreme Court of India has proposed setting up appellate tribunals at the West Bengal Judicial Academy located in New Town, to handle appeals related to the supplementary SIR voter list in West Bengal.
The move aims to utilise existing infrastructure in New Town to improve efficiency, reduce delays, and make the appeals process more accessible.
Court’s Observation
The proposal was conducted during a hearing presided over by Hon’ble Justice Jyotirmaya Bhattacharya and Chief Justice of India, Surya Kant.
The bench noted that a centralized setup in New Town could facilitate hybrid or virtual hearings and save time and logistics, particularly for retired judges serving on appellate tribunals.
Tribunal Status and ECI Plan
In West Bengal, the Election Commission of India has already established 19 appellate tribunals to address disagreements arising from approximately 60 lakh under-adjudication cases related to voter list revisions.
However, owing to staffing and office setup delays, the tribunals are still not fully operational even though they were constituted around March 20.
Why New Town Is Key
The West Bengal Judicial Academy, which is about five acres in size and has state-of-the-art facilities that can be utilized for tribunal operations, is situated in Action Area III.
According to experts, New Town is an ideal spot to combine these judicial functions because of its planned layout, connectivity, and developing institutional ecosystem.
Bigger Urban Impact
The proposal demonstrates a broader trend toward the integration of planned urban development with legal infrastructure.
Establishing tribunals here could enhance service delivery, promote institutional and economic development in the area as New Town develops as an administrative center.