NewKerala.com

Bengal Poll Roll Discrepancy: Only ECI-Approved IDs Accepted by Judicial Officers

Judicial officers in West Bengal will only accept the 13 identity documents specified by the Election Commission of India for verifying voters flagged under the "logical discrepancy" category during the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls. This clarification comes amid objections from the ruling Trinamool Congress, which sought consideration of additional state-issued identity proofs. Approximately 250 judicial officers, including session judges and those presiding over NDPS and POCSO courts, will conduct adjudication hearings beginning Monday. The process will be supervised at the district level by committees comprising the district judge, magistrate, and superintendent of police.

Key Points: Bengal Electoral Roll Revision: Judicial Officers to Use Only ECI IDs

  • Only 13 ECI documents accepted
  • Adjudication for logical discrepancies
  • Final roll publication Feb 28
  • 250 judicial officers involved
  • Supervised by district committees
2 min read

Judicial officers to accept only ECI-approved identity documents in Bengal SIR exercise

Judicial officers in West Bengal will accept only 13 ECI-approved identity documents for voter verification in the electoral roll revision process.

"logical discrepancy category includes cases in which anomalies were detected in family-tree data - Election Commission officials"

Kolkata, Feb 22

Judicial officers appointed to adjudicate claims and objections arising from the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in poll-bound West Bengal will be required to accept only the 13 identity documents specified by the Election Commission of India for verification of voters identified under the "logical discrepancy" category, officials said on Sunday.

The decision was conveyed during a meeting held in Kolkata between judicial officers assigned to adjudication duties and representatives of the Election Commission of India, where detailed procedural guidelines were explained.

The "logical discrepancy" category includes cases in which anomalies were detected in family-tree data during the process of progeny mapping, prompting authorities to summon the concerned voters to hearings and require them to furnish any one of the 13 documents listed by the ECI as valid identity proof to establish their eligibility for retention in the electoral rolls.

The clarification assumes significance amid objections raised by the ruling Trinamool Congress, which had questioned the restriction to the 13 specified documents and sought consideration of additional identity proofs issued by various state government agencies.

Officials said that as per the current schedule, the final electoral roll in West Bengal will be published on February 28, excluding those cases that have been referred for judicial adjudication. Supplementary electoral rolls will be published subsequently after the adjudication process is completed.

Full-scale adjudication hearings are scheduled to begin from Monday, with the involvement of approximately 150 session judges appointed for the purpose by the Calcutta High Court.

In total, around 250 judicial officers have been assigned to the adjudication process, which will be supervised at the district level by three-member committees constituted under the direction of the Calcutta High Court.

Each district-level supervisory committee will comprise the district judge, the district magistrate -- who also serves as the district electoral officer -- and the district superintendent of police concerned.

Of the 250 judicial officers involved, around 100 are judges currently presiding over courts under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances (NDPS) Act and the Protection of Children from Sexual Offences (POCSO) Act, while the remaining are session judges from other courts.

Meanwhile, the Calcutta High Court on Saturday issued a notification cancelling the leave of all judicial officers in West Bengal until March 9 and directed those currently on leave to report back to duty by Monday. The order excluded judicial officers on emergency medical leave.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priya S
While standardization is good, I hope the common person isn't harassed. What if someone's Aadhaar card has a minor spelling error? The process should be fair and not used to disenfranchise genuine voters. The judicial oversight is reassuring though.
R
Rohit P
Good move by ECI. In a sensitive state like WB, you need strict protocols to ensure the voter list is accurate. "Logical discrepancy" in family-tree data sounds like a technical way to find duplicate or bogus entries. Hope this cleans up the rolls.
S
Sarah B
Interesting process. Cancelling leave for all judicial officers until March 9 shows how serious this is. Must be a huge workload. Respect to the officers involved, especially those pulled from NDPS and POCSO courts.
V
Vikram M
The TMC has a point. In rural areas, people often have state-issued documents like ration cards or farmer IDs. If those are not in the 13, it could be a problem for the poor and elderly. ECI should maybe review the list for inclusivity.
M
Michael C
Procedural clarity is essential for public trust in elections. The three-member committee with the DM, Judge, and SP at district level seems like a robust check-and-balance system. Hope the hearings are conducted swiftly and justly.

We welcome thoughtful discussions from our readers. Please keep comments respectful and on-topic.

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50