Mass SIR summons in Falakata as 478 voters of 1 booth receive notices

Alipurduar: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has triggered widespread distress in Falakata after 94 per cent of voters from Booth No. 13/200 were summoned for hearings, allegedly due to administrative lapses. The controversy intensified after an elderly woman, suffering from a nerve disorder and unable to walk properly, was compelled to attend a hearing in Alipurduar.

According to sources, 478 out of 509 voters of the booth under the Falakata Assembly constituency received SIR notices, causing anxiety among residents. District administration officials have initiated an inquiry after it emerged that the names of all notice recipients were present in the 2002 voter list, raising questions over the necessity of the hearings. The issue has sparked political backlash, with the TMC accusing the Election Commission, BJP and CPIM of voter harassment. The party alleged that Basanti Pal, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) of the booth, an active CPIM supporter, deliberately created the situation to benefit the BJP. The BLO declined to comment.

Shubhabrata De, general secretary of the Alipurduar district TMC, said: “This was done intentionally to give electoral advantage to the BJP. We strongly protest and are lodging a complaint with the Election Commission.” Alipurduar Sub-Divisional Officer Debabrata Roy said the matter was under examination, describing it as a “logical discrepancy.”

Meanwhile, the human impact of the SIR process was evident when Annapurna Barman, a resident of Booth No. 12/225 of Ward No. 11, attended the hearing at Alipurduar Indoor Stadium despite severe illness. Her husband, Manu Barman, a lottery ticket seller, said: ““Even after informing officials about my wife’s condition, no one paid any attention.” Adding that attending the hearing meant losing a day’s income.

TMC councillor Partha Sarkar of Ward No. 11 said: “The Election Commission should have considered the condition of vulnerable voters before implementing SIR. Harassing people has now become its primary objective.”