SIR: Barasat queues as voters claim removal from rolls despite valid docus

Kolkata: Several people standing in queues outside the North 24-Parganas DM office in Barasat, submitting documents for Tribunal hearings, claimed their names had been struck off the electoral rolls despite possessing valid documents and despite their parents’ names appearing in the 2002 electoral rolls.

Many electors whose names were deleted during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process queued up to get their names back on the voter lists ahead of the election.

Hafizul Islam, a resident of Duttapukur’s Isubati area that falls under Amdanga Assembly Constituency, said the names of seven members of his family have been removed despite having all his documents and also those of his parents. He came to submit documents at the Barasat DM office.

“My name was there in 2002 rolls alongside my parents. I was born in Duttapukur. I submitted all the documents. My grandfather also used to live in Duttapukur. We found our names being deleted. Around 123 people from part number 269 in our locality found their names deleted. It is harassment,” said Islam, who works as a mason.

Serpentine lines were seen outside various government offices across the state as local residents waited since early morning to submit their appeals to the local administration to consider reinstating their names in the electoral rolls.

Md Talim Ali, who also came to submit documents at the Barasat DM office, said that his patients’ names were there in 2002 rolls, but despite that, his name has been removed. Ali, who is a resident under Haroa assembly area, said that his parents’ names featured in this year’s electoral rolls.

Narayan Chandra Poddar, who came from Birati, said his name was not on the 2002 voter list, and now his name has been deleted.