No valid voter will be dropped during SIR in Bengal, says EC

Kolkata: Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Agarwal on Thursday assured that no genuine voter’s name will be deleted from the electoral roll during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in the state.

A four-member team from the Election Commission of India (ECI), led by Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti, concluded its two-day visit to Bengal after reviewing final preparations for the SIR exercise. The team held a key meeting at Kolaghat in East Midnapore with election officials from Bankura, Jhargram and East Midnapore districts. According to sources, Bharti issued a stern directive, making it clear that all officials involved in the electoral process must strictly follow the EC’s instructions and warned of legal and disciplinary action in case of any deviation.

A senior official present at the meeting said that the CEO reiterated the Commission’s commitment to ensuring that the names of genuine and eligible voters remain untouched during the SIR. It was further emphasised that a voter’s name should not be deleted solely due to non-availability of documents and that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) must conduct field verification before any such decision.

The meeting focused on the pivotal role of BLOs in voter verification and data collection, with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) also participating in the review.

During the interaction, some BLOs expressed concerns about their safety and security during fieldwork. Responding to them, Bharti clarified that while law and order is a state subject, the Election Commission is maintaining strict vigilance and closely monitoring all developments.

Detailed presentations were also made on the measures taken in Bihar to ensure effective implementation of SIR. The ECI team urged District Election Officers (DEOs) in Bengal to maintain similar precision, transparency and commitment in their preparations for the exercise.