NewKerala.com

ECI Seeks Bengal DEOs' Input to Simplify Voter List Tech Apps

The Election Commission of India has asked District Electoral Officers in West Bengal for suggestions on simplifying technological applications used in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of voter lists. This move follows complaints from some DEOs that the apps were not user-friendly and allegations from the Trinamool Congress that the technology was designed to delete genuine voters. The Chief Electoral Officer's office stated that suggestions to make the applications simpler would be implemented where possible. The simplification aims to expedite hearings for "logical discrepancy" cases ahead of the final voter list publication on February 14.

Key Points: ECI Simplifies Voter List Tech After Bengal Complaints

  • ECI seeks DEOs' input on tech simplification
  • Complaints of apps being not user-friendly
  • Addresses TMC allegations of voter deletion
  • Final voters' list for Bengal due Feb 14
2 min read

SIR: ECI seeks suggestions from Bengal DEOs for simplifying technological applications

Election Commission seeks suggestions from Bengal DEOs to simplify tech applications for voter revision, addressing complaints and political allegations.

"The simplification of the technological application will make the process of hearing... much smoother and faster. - CEO Office Sources"

Kolkata, Jan 7

The Election Commission of India has sought suggestions from the District Magistrates, as well as the District Electoral Officers, on how to make the use of the technological applications for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision in West Bengal simpler.

Sources in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, clarified that the suggestions from the DMs, as well as the DEOs in the matter, had been sought because of the two factors.

The first factor is complaints from a section of the DEOs that certain technological applications introduced in the revision exercise were not user-friendly and complicated. They said the subordinate electoral officers, including Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and Booth-Level Officers (BLOs), found the applications complicated.

The second factor is to address the allegations raised by the Trinamool Congress and West Bengal Chief Minister Banerjee that such technological applications, including the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the revision exercise, had been deliberately introduced to delete names of genuine voters from the final voters' list.

Even on Tuesday, the Chief Minister alleged that the app used by the ECI in the ongoing SIR in the state was designed by the Information Technology Cell of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

The CEO's office sources also said that the higher officials of the Commission assured the DMs, as well as the DEOs, that their suggestions on how to make such technological applications simple would be implemented as far as possible.

"The simplification of the technological application will make the process of hearing for the voters identified as "logical discrepancy" cases much smoother and faster.

With the process of hearing for "unmapped" voters almost complete, the process of serving notices for hearing to the voters identified as "logical discrepancy" cases has already started on Tuesday.

The hearing sessions for the "logical discrepancy" cases will start on January 13. The final voters' list for West Bengal will be published on February 14, which means that the hearing for the "logical discrepancy" cases will have to be completed within less than a month.

- IANS

Share this article:

Reader Comments

P
Priyanka N
While simplifying tech is good, the allegations about BJP's IT cell designing the app are very serious. The ECI must maintain absolute neutrality. The process should be transparent so that every citizen, especially in rural Bengal, can trust the final voter list.
A
Aman W
Good move! My uncle is a BLO in Howrah and he was really struggling with the new app. Said it was too slow and confusing. If the officers can't use it properly, how will the common people have faith? Hope the new version is made keeping our local conditions in mind.
S
Sarah B
Interesting to see AI being used in voter list revision. But with the tight deadline (less than a month for hearings!), a user-friendly system is not a luxury, it's a necessity. The ECI is right to prioritize this.
K
Karthik V
The political blame game is unfortunate. Instead of accusations, all parties should help make the process better. At the end of the day, a correct voter list is the foundation of our democracy. Jai Hind!
N
Nisha Z
Respectfully, the ECI should have tested these applications thoroughly with the actual field officers *before* rolling them out statewide. Now seeking suggestions mid-process feels reactive. It creates unnecessary pressure and could lead to errors in the crucial final list.

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

Leave a Comment

Minimum 50 characters 0/50