Receipt dispute disrupts SIR hearing at Kumarganj Block Office in South Dinajpur

BALURGHAT: Tension flared at the Kumarganj Block Office in South Dinajpur on Saturday during the hearing process of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list, following allegations that applicants were not being issued receipt copies after submitting documents. The protest led to a complete halt of the official hearing for nearly one and a half hours.

The hearing on the day involved residents from Deor, Jakhirpur and Safanagar gram panchayat areas under the Kumarganj block. According to the aggrieved applicants, although officials collected the required documents after the hearings, no written acknowledgement or receipt copy was provided. The absence of any proof regarding which documents had been submitted triggered anxiety among the applicants, who feared possible harassment or complications in the future.

As resentment grew, the situation quickly escalated, forcing the administration to suspend the hearing process. Upon receiving information about the unrest, a delegation of the Trinamool Congress (TMC) rushed to the spot. A 20-member team, led by local MLA Toraf Hossain Mondal and block president Ganesh Das, submitted a deputation to Block Development Officer (BDO) Sribas Biswas.

Speaking to the media, block president Ganesh Das alleged that such administrative lapses had been continuing for a long time.

“Issuing a receipt after accepting documents is mandatory. But by not doing so, common people are being pushed into uncertainty. Minority communities, in particular, are facing repeated harassment,” he claimed. Facing sustained protests and political pressure, BDO Sribas Biswas assured the delegation and the public that their demand regarding the issuance of receipt copies would be conveyed to higher authorities for necessary action. Following the assurance, the hearing process resumed after a disruption of nearly one and a half hours.