In Bengal SIR prep, EC to begin training of ADMs & EROs today
Times of India | 16 September 2025The ADMs and EROs will further train block-level officers (BLOs).
Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal, along with additional CEOs Dibyendu Das and Arindam Neogi, are expected to impart the training. Once this exercise is done, BLOs will be trained on how to fill up SIR forms as they are supposed to reach all households and assist voters in completing the forms.
"This is part of the pre-SIR process, and this week deputy election commissioner Gyanesh Bharti will be coming to the city to supervise preparations for SIR in Bengal," a senior official said.
As part of starting the SIR process in Bengal, where assembly polls are due in May 2026, a meeting was held with ADMs on Monday. They were instructed on how to proceed with mapping of voters.
The officials were advised to consider the voters' list of 2002, when the last SIR in Bengal took place, and compare it with the voters' list of 2025 published in Jan. This will help in easily identifying existing voters who were on the 2002 list, thus preventing any harassment, especially for senior citizens.
The EC would again write to Bengal govt for arranging staff and officers in the CEO's office so that vacancies can be filled up before the launch of SIR. There are apprehensions that shortage of staff might hinder the SIR process, for which there are even plans to involve officers and staff from NIC.
