Two days after the Supreme Court issued directions to ease the difficulties faced by voters during SIR hearings, the orders were yet to be implemented at hearing centres in the city.

On Monday, the apex court orally directed the Election Commission to issue receipts for documents submitted by voters at SIR hearings and to accept Class X (Madhyamik) admit cards as valid proof of age. The written order was uploaded on Tuesday.

But on Wednesday, when Metro visited two SIR hearing centres — Sammilita Balika Vidyalaya in Baghajatin, Jadavpur, and St Sebastian’s School in Tangra — neither was issuing receipts for documents nor accepting Class X admit cards as standalone proof of date of birth.

The Supreme Court’s written order stated: “Madhyamik (Class-10) admit card,
which discloses date of birth of the candidate, may be submitted apart from Madhyamik Pass Certificate during hearing.”

The court also directed that “the official, who will receive the documents or accord a hearing to the affected persons, may also certify the receipt of documents and the conduct of such a hearing.”

At both centres this newspaper visited, officials said they were not issuing receipts for documents unless voters specifically asked for one. Even then, the receipt only recorded attendance, with the list of documents mentioned, if at all, on the same slip.

Class X admit cards were not being accepted as sufficient proof of date of birth. Officials said voters submitting admit cards were being asked to provide an additional document — such as a Class X pass certificate, Aadhaar card, passport or birth certificate — that also mentioned the date of birth.

At the Jadavpur centre, where voters from the Jadavpur Assembly constituency appeared, officials said they had not received any formal instruction from higher authorities regarding the issuance of receipts for documents.

“Only if someone asks for a receipt do we mention the documents on the attendance slip,” an official said.

At the Tangra centre, serving voters from the Entally Assembly constituency, officials cited the volume of hearings as a constraint. According to them, around 600 to 700 voters were being heard daily.

“We are keeping our own list,” one official said.

The proceedings at each hearing centre are being conducted by an assistant election registration officer, a micro observer and the booth-level officer (BLO).

Several voters said they were only handed a slip certifying their attendance, with no acknowledgment of the documents submitted.

“My wife, son and I attended the hearing. None of us was given any receipt for the documents taken from us,” said Khitesh Mondal, 63, a resident of Baghajatin.

Other voters at the Jadavpur centre said officials were insisting on additional documents even after submitting a Class X admit card.

“When I submitted my Class X admit card, the officials asked for my pass certificate or Aadhaar card,” said Tumpa Das, 42.

A district magistrate, who also functions as the district election officer, said the Supreme Court order had been shared by the chief electoral officer in a common WhatsApp group of officials.

“That means district election officers are supposed to pass it down to the rank and file. Everyone should follow the Supreme Court’s orders,” he said.

Yet, the lack of clarity appears to have resulted in inconsistent practices at centres, causing hardship for voters across centres.

A schoolteacher from Calcutta had to travel with her three-month-old son to attend a hearing in Hooghly’s Jirat. “My wife, our son and I left home at 8am. The hearing was scheduled around 1pm,” her husband said. “It was sheer harassment.”

In another case, a 25-year-old woman from Bagdogra, now working in Calcutta, booked a train ticket to return home for her hearing after being informed it was scheduled for January 24.

“The BLO first told me on January 18 that the hearing would be on January 22,” she said. “On Wednesday afternoon, I received a WhatsApp notice saying January 24, so I booked my ticket. A while later, the BLO called again to say it had been rescheduled to February 1.”

After an argument, she was finally asked to appear on January 24.