A division bench of the Calcutta High Court on Wednesday, 1 July directed the West Bengal government to submit a detailed report on welfare provisions — including free ration and Annapurna Yojana benefits — for residents whose names were struck off the voters' list during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) conducted by the Election Commission of India (ECI) earlier this year. The bench has set a deadline of 21 July for the state to respond.

Background: What Triggered the PIL

Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity, an independent trade union representing agricultural labourers, marginal farmers, and share-croppers in West Bengal, filed a public interest litigation (PIL) before the High Court alleging that residents deleted from electoral rolls during the SIR process are being denied free ration and financial assistance under the Annapurna Yojana — a monthly welfare scheme for women.

The petition was taken up before the division bench comprising Acting Chief Justice Tapabrata Chakraborty and Justice Partha Sarathi Chatterjee.

State's Position: Investigation Needed First

The state's newly appointed advocate general, Surajit Nath Mitra, informed the bench that he had received a copy of the case only on Wednesday and that a thorough investigation was required before any response could be furnished.

Mitra argued that only after a detailed inquiry would the full picture emerge — specifically, which names were deleted during the SIR and which individuals were subsequently denied Annapurna Yojana and ration entitlements. 'Based on that investigation, the state government will take steps, and the court will be informed,' the advocate general submitted.

Petitioner's Concern: A Notification That Could Exclude the Marginalised

Counsel for the petitioner flagged a West Bengal government notification dated 19 June this year, which reportedly stated that SIR data would be used to determine eligibility for ration and Annapurna Yojana disbursements.

The petitioner's counsel argued that this decision risks depriving 'marginalised, common and working-class people of the state, workers, migrant workers, and women' of government benefits. The counsel further contended that such a notification may conflict with the National Food Security Act, 2013, which mandates affordable food access for all eligible citizens.

Court's Direction

After hearing both sides, the division bench directed the West Bengal government to place on record the state administration's observations and the steps taken — or planned — to ensure uninterrupted welfare access for those affected by SIR deletions. The report must be submitted by 21 July.

This case surfaces at a politically sensitive moment: the SIR exercise has already drawn controversy in West Bengal, with opposition parties and civil society groups alleging that the revision disproportionately removed names of marginalised communities. The High Court's intervention adds a judicial dimension to what has until now been a largely political debate.