Katwa: Residents of Ganguly Danga village in East Burdwan district blocked the Katwa-Burdwan state road for hours on Monday, demanding that hearings for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters' list take place at their village instead of the block development office located around four kilometres away.
Around 1,100 residents, led by women and the elderly, joined the blockade. Protestors said nearly 50% of residents of the region had received SIR notices over "logical discrepancies" and that it was difficult for the elderly and the ailing to go to SIR hearings far away. They called for the hearings to be conducted in earmarked polling booths.
They further demanded that voters be given adequate notice for hearings because migrant workers from the village are unable to attend hearings at short notice.
The joint block development officer (BDO) and police held discussions with protestors, after which the residents submitted a mass application addressed to the electoral registration officer (ERO) and the subdivisional officer of Katwa.
The joint BDO assured protestors that their concerns will be forwarded to the Election Commission. Protestors withdrew the blockade but added that they would intensify their agitation and go on hunger strike if their demands were not met.