'Making of draft revised electoral roll started in S Dinajpur'

BALURGHAT: As per instruction of State Election Commission (SEC), South Dinajpur district administration has initiated measures for the upcoming rural polls scheduled to be organised in 2023.

According to a district administrative official, District Magistrate of South Dinajpur Bijin Krishna has already conducted a high-ranked administrative meeting with the officials to deliver the message of the SEC.

"After the instruction being delivered by the SEC, the initiative for preparing a draft list of revised electoral roll has started in South Dinajpur. The focus will be given on reserved seats covering Gram Panchayats, Panchayat Samities and Zilla Parishad. A full-fledged draft list for the same mentioning delimitations will be prepared and sent to the SEC positively within September 12 as directed by the concerned SEC," said the official.

The official said a list for Other Backward Class (OBC) voters in the electoral roll will be prepared for the upcoming three-tier rural polls. "A door-to-door survey for enlisting the names of the OBC voters in the electoral roll has started by the district administration. The list will be prepared on the basis of the 2011 Census report and on the published electoral roll in January, 2021. An all party meeting was also organised by the district administration to deliver the decision of the SEC regarding the matter," the official said.

The official said a draft list for the OBC voters in the electoral roll will be published on August 20 and the final list for the same will be published on September 2. "Any question or objection regarding the list for the OBC voters will be sorted out after publishing the draft list. The process on any objection to it will be solved on or before September 2. A final list of the revised electoral roll will be delivered to the SEC positively within September 12," added the official.

Meanwhile, the district administration reportedly appointed supervisors and assistant supervisors for conducting the survey work after a proper training to them.

In South Dinajpur, there are 64 Gram Panchayats, eight Panchayat Samities and one Zilla Parishad. Most of the seats covering in all three sections were bagged by the state ruling Trinamool Congress party in 2018 rural polls in Bengal.