‘No grievance from those deprived’: Calcutta High Court on petition against ration-voter link

2 min readKolkataJul 2, 2026 05:15 AM IST

The matter will next be heard on July 21. (File Photo)

The Calcutta High Court on Wednesday reprimanded a farm labourers’ union over its petition challenging the BJP government’s decision to deny ration benefits to those excluded from the electoral rolls after the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, stating “not a single grievance” has been voiced by anyone yet.

The HC observation comes days after the Supreme Court declined to urgently list a petition filed by Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity challenging the government decision and asked the body to approach the HC instead.

Hearing the matter, the Division Bench said, “Not a single petition has been filed by anyone who is deprived, but your organisation is crying. No grievance has been ventilated by any person before any court so far.”

Advocate Purbayan Chakraborty, appearing for the petitioners said, “People are being deprived of food and cash benefits. In the meantime please pass some interim order that no names are deleted. They seek to exclude beneficiaries from ration and cash benefits.”

Advocate General Surajit Nath Mitra, appearing for the State, argued, “Everything is subjected to enquiry. If somebody’s name is not in the voter list, if a person is dead…their names will have to be removed. Give us some time to issue some instructions. I don’t think there is any scope of any interim order.”

The matter will next be heard on July 21.

The PIL was filed by the independent trade union of agricultural labourers and its state committee member to “protect the constitutional and statutory socio-economic entitlements of millions of marginalised citizens across West Bengal”.

Tanusree Bose is a dedicated journalist reporting for The Indian Express from Kolkata. Her work focuses sharply on the complex administrative, political, and judicial developments across West Bengal, establishing her as an authoritative voice in regional news coverage.

Experience

Current Role: Reports for the prestigious national daily, The Indian Express, providing her content with a high level of Trustworthiness.

Geographical Expertise: Provides focused, in-depth coverage of West Bengal, demonstrating an intimate knowledge of the state's news and political nuances.

Core Authority: Her reporting portfolio highlights deep Expertise in crucial, often sensitive, beats, including:

State Politics and Governance: Covering the ruling Trinamool Congress (TMC), opposition strategies (BJP), and internal political controversies.

Judicial and Administrative Affairs: Closely monitoring key developments in the Calcutta High Court, particularly major rulings related to employment, education, and social issues.

Education Sector: Extensive reporting on significant controversies, such as teacher recruitment irregularities and administrative actions by the West Bengal Board of Secondary Education (WBBSE).

Social & Electoral Issues: Covering public events, community tensions (e.g., religious/political gatherings), and election-related processes like the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.

Tanusree Bose's consistent output and focus on high-stakes regional issues for a trusted media outlet underscore her status as a reliable and authoritative source for news from West Bengal. ... Read More