Supreme Court Allows Petitioner To Approach Calcutta High Court Against West Bengal Govt Move To Deny Ration To SIR-Excluded Persons

The Supreme Court today disposed of a writ petition challenging West Bengal government's move denying ration benefits to persons excluded from the voters' list after Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

A partial Court working days bench of Justice BV Nagarathna and Justice Joymalya Bagchi allowed the case to be withdrawn upon a mentioning by Advocate Prasanna S (for petitioner).

Disposing of the case, it granted liberty to the petitioner to approach the High Court.

To recap, the petition was filed under Article 32 by a Bengal-based farm labor union, Paschim Banga Khet Majoor Samity. The matter was mentioned yesterday for urgent listing, but the Court asked the petitioner why the High Court could not be approached for appropriate relief.

Advocate Prasanna, in response, replied that it was a pan-India issue, as many other States were following the West Bengal Government's step of denying welfare measures to SIR-excluded persons. Since the Supreme Court had upheld the SIR process, it was the appropriate forum to deal with the issue, he submitted.

The bench however was of the view that the petition involved a separate cause of action. Justice Nagarathna eventually told the petitioner to approach the High Court. In this backdrop, the matter was mentioned today seeking withdrawal, with liberty to approach the High Court.

Case Title: PASCHIM BENGA KHET MAJOOR SAMITY v. STATE OF WEST BENGAL, Diary No. 37837/2026