Bengal SIR: CEO clarifies validity of domicile certificates

Kolkata: The office of the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Sunday issued a letter to all District Election Officers (DEOs) detailing the circumstances under which a Permanent Resident Certificate, popularly known as a Domicile Certificate, will be considered valid.

It clarified that under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)–2026, the Permanent Resident Certificate will be treated as a valid supporting document, subject to the fulfilment of specified conditions.

The letter stated that under the SIR guidelines issued on October 27, 2025, the Permanent Resident Certificate is recognised as a valid eligibility document. However, in West Bengal, only certificates issued in accordance with the state government order dated November 2, 1999, will be accepted.

The Commission further clarified that under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) are the final authorities. They will accept only those Permanent Resident

Certificates issued by the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Magistrate, or, in the case of Kolkata, by the Collector, and strictly in line with the 1999 state government guidelines.

The letter also noted that the guidelines were originally framed for issuing Permanent Resident Certificates to non-Bengali candidates seeking recruitment in the defence and paramilitary forces. Only certificates issued in accordance with these guidelines will be considered valid for the SIR.

All DEOs have been directed to inform the EROs and AEROs under their jurisdiction to avoid confusion during the SIR process.

Notably, on Saturday, the Election Commission of India (ECI) formally recognised the Domicile Certificate as a valid document for the SIR of electoral rolls and conveyed the decision through a letter to state Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal.

In its letter, the ECI reiterated that under the SIR guidelines for West Bengal dated October 27, 2025, the Permanent Resident Certificate is included among valid eligibility documents, provided it is issued in accordance with rules prescribed by the Government of West Bengal by duly authorised competent authorities.