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Bengal Voter Roll Scrutiny Intensifies With Four New Special Observers

The Election Commission of India has appointed four additional special roll observers, all serving IAS officers, to oversee the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal. Their primary tasks include conducting a final-stage verification of identity documents for voters flagged with "logical discrepancies" and ensuring micro-observers at hearing sessions follow ECI guidelines. This move introduces a three-stage document checking process, tightening scrutiny beyond the initial two-stage plan. The appointments come amid allegations from Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee that the revision process aims to delete legitimate voters rather than correct errors.

Key Points: ECI Appoints 4 Special Observers for Bengal Voter Roll Revision

  • Four new IAS officers appointed as observers
  • Three-stage check for 'logical discrepancy' voters
  • Observers to supervise micro-observers' conduct
  • Aim is to include genuine, exclude bogus voters
  • CM Mamata Banerjee alleges voter deletion motive
2 min read

SIR in Bengal: Four new special roll observers assigned specific tasks

Election Commission deploys four IAS officers as special observers to oversee document checks and micro-observer supervision in West Bengal's voter list revision.

"The only aim is to ensure that the name of a single genuine voter remains included and the name of a single bogus voter is excluded - CEO Office Sources"

Kolkata, Jan 11

The four additional roll observers appointed by the Election Commission of India to review the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal have been tasked to focus on two specific assignments.

The first assignment is to conduct a check of the identity documents furnished by the "logical discrepancy" voters in the course of hearing sessions on the claims and objections on the draft voters' list, and certify whether these documents are valid or not.

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, said that initially the Commission had directed two-stage checking of the identity documents in case of "logical discrepancy", the first by the electoral registration officers (ERO) and subsequently by the District Magistrates, who are also the District Electoral Officers.

However, according to sources in the CEO's office, there will be a three-stage checking of these documents now. The special roll observers will conduct final stage checking.

The second assignment for these four special roll observers will be to ensure that the micro-observers appointed by the ECI to ensure smooth functioning of the hearing session are following the poll panel's guidelines.

"The Commission had received inputs that some of the micro-observers are not performing their duties during the hearing session as per the guidelines set for them by the ECI. Hence, the special observers have been asked to supervise the functioning of the micro-observers. The only aim is to ensure that the name of a single genuine voter remains included and the name of a single bogus voter is excluded," sources in the CEO's office said.

On Saturday, the ECI announced the appointment of four more special electoral roll observers for West Bengal.

The four additional special roll observers are all serving Indian Administrative Service (IAS) officers, with three of them currently serving in the national capital, New Delhi, and the fourth serving in Tripura.

The four special roll observers for West Bengal, whose appointments were announced by the Commission on Saturday, are Ratan Biswas, Vikas Sinha, Sailesh, and Sandeep Rathore.

Incidentally, on Saturday, West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the ongoing SIR of electoral rolls in the state is being carried out with the sole objective of deleting and excluding names of existing voters, rather than correcting errors or including new voters.

- IANS

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Reader Comments

R
Rahul R
The CM's letter raises a valid concern. The process must be transparent and not used as a tool for voter suppression. The focus should be on inclusion and correction, not just deletion. Hope the observers ensure a balanced approach.
S
Suresh O
Good move! If micro-observers are not following guidelines, it creates room for manipulation. Bringing in outside officers from Delhi and Tripura adds a layer of neutrality. The integrity of the electoral roll is non-negotiable.
A
Anjali F
As a citizen, I just want a smooth voting process. All this political back-and-forth is exhausting. Just make sure my name is on the list and the booth is not crowded! Let's focus on the actual voting day preparations too.
V
Vikram M
The fact that they had to add a third stage of checking and supervise the micro-observers shows there were serious loopholes. This should have been airtight from the beginning. Better late than never, I suppose.
K
Kavya N
West Bengal elections are always high-stakes. Every step in the roll revision is scrutinized. I hope these observers work without any bias and their reports are made public to build trust in the process.

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