The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to deploy at least 10 more electoral roll observers to ensure a flawless Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise of electoral rolls in West Bengal. The decision comes a day after the Supreme Court issued certain directions to EC to ensure the scrutiny of voters flagged for “logical discrepancies” is carried out transparently and without inconveniencing the public.
Earlier, EC had deployed 12 roll observers and retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as special roll observer to oversee the SIR exercise. Later, four more special roll observers were deputed.
According to sources, EC has identified at least 10 to 12 districts, most of them in North Bengal, where the SIR process was allegedly not being carried out in accordance with EC’s directions. The new roll observers, who will likely reach the state on Wednesday, will ensure increased field-level surveillance.
The EC has also issued a message stating that strict action will be taken against any Booth Level Officer (BLO) or officer concerned found to be negligent, and no irregularity will be tolerated in the voters’ list.
The top court on Monday had directed ECI to publish the names of those flagged for “logical discrepancies” in their enumeration forms in the gram panchayat bhavans/block office in every taluka as well as in the ward offices.
The court noted that around 1.25 crores of notices have been sent to various persons, citing discrepancies such as mismatch in parents’ names, low age-gap with parents, number of children of the parents cited more than six, among others.
The SC said that persons likely to be affected should be permitted to submit their documents and objections through their authorised representative. Such an authorised representative can be BLA and that the person submitting the objection should produce a letter in favour of such a representative, whether signed or with a thumb impression.
Taking into consideration the concerns expressed by the petitioners that the persons will have to travel long distances to respond to the notices, the court directed that the office for submitting the documents and objections can be submitted at the Panchayat Bhavan and block offices. If the documents are found to be unsatisfactory, the election officers should give the persons a scope of hearing, which can be attended by the authorised agent.