The Election Commission (EC) has suspended seven Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in West Bengal over “serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory powers” in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
The EC’s action comes after repeated directions to the TMC government in the state to act against “erring” officials.
On Friday, the EC had summoned state Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty to New Delhi and asked her to take necessary action immediately against the officers, sources in the poll panel said.
The seven AEROs named in the suspension letter, dated February 15 (Sunday), are as follows Joint Block Development Officer Satyajit Das and Fishery Extension Officer Joydeep Kundu – both AEROs of Canning Purbo Assembly constituency.
According to EC sources, the Supreme Court had earlier asked the EC to take action against two of the seven officers, but the state government was reluctant to do so.
“These officers face charges of serious misconduct, dereliction of duty, and misuse of statutory powers in connection with the SIR exercise,” said an official, adding the EC used powers under Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to take action against the seven state government employees working on deputation for the poll panel.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court, while hearing a bunch of petitions, including the one filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had warned the states that it would not allow anyone to “create any impediment” in the completion of the SIR of electoral rolls.
Welcoming the EC’s decision to suspend the seven officers, the Opposition BJP said it was the “first time” that the poll panel exercised its statutory authority to directly penalise officers found guilty of SIR-related misconduct.
“It was an unprecedented move from the EC. No such steps were taken against government officials of any other state where the SIR exercise is being conducted. The officers indulged in serious violations of the Commission’s directives. They accepted fake school leaving certificates, PAN cards, and notarized affidavits as documents during the verification phase. They acted under pressure of the TMC and district top brass to include names of fake voters, as also under signals of the chief secretary,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged.
Clear objections, claims filed under Form 7: EC to state
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Monday directed the West Bengal government to ensure the speedy disposal of claims and objections filed under Form 7 of the SIR exercise.
Earlier this month, a three-member Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, had extended the deadline for the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs)/ Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to complete scrutiny of documents.
Seeking a compliance report of the Supreme Court’s February 9 order, the EC said that it has directed that all the objections in Form 7s received till date in the offices of the CEO and DEOs shall be sent to EROs/AEROs immediately and latest by February 16 for disposal of the same.”
The direction cited reports regarding the alleged burning of records of Form 7 objections, an issue of which the EC said it had taken cognisance. The EC is set to publish the final electoral roll on February 28.