By Soumitra Nandi
Kolkata: The Green Tribunal of Calcutta High Court on Monday stayed the notification of the state election commission in West Bengal regarding the use of microphone as a medium of campaign in the forthcoming municipal elections. The tribunal observed that if the political parties want to use microphone for campaign they should stick to the sound norms of the year 2000.

While delivering the judgment the tribunal said that the order will be effective until further orders by this bench. The tribunal observed in its verdict that this stay order is to upheld the basic right of a student.

“When the sound of microphone reaches a student’s ear it affects his/ her concentration. Sometimes it becomes so unbearable that it tells upon people’s nerves. The worst affected are the examinees. The Supreme Court has a number of clear orders that those people who do not want to listen they are free to do that. They should not be compelled to listen,” stated the tribunal. 

The Governor of West Bengal   Keshari Nath Tripathi had issued a circular prohibiting the use of microphones during election campaign three days before the CBSE examination had started. On April 1, the state election commission issued a notification declaring that from Monday to Saturday microphones can be used from 3pm to 10 pm and on Sundays from 10 am to 10 pm as per the latest sound norms.

Environmentalist Subhas Dutta moved the Calcutta High Court challenging the state election commission’s notification. “I am optimistic that the tribunal’s verdict will be a relief to students as well as common people,” said Dutta after the judgment.