State Election dept conducts special training for North Bengal BLOs, SROs
Jalpaiguri: The state Election department on Monday conducted a one-day special training session at the Jalpaiguri Zilla Parishad Hall for Booth Level Officers (BLOs), Sub-Registrar Officers (SROs), and election supervisors from Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Jalpaiguri, Alipurduar and Cooch Behar districts.
The training focused on house-to-house voter list verification using advanced technology. Officers were instructed to submit Form 7 to the district election office in case of objections regarding doubtful voters.
Over 400 BLOs and electoral roll officials attended the session. They were directed to verify entries such as voters who have moved away, names of deceased individuals still listed and voters registered at incorrect addresses. Officials stressed that negligence in the verification process would result in disciplinary action as per Election Commission rules. Addressing the trainees, Additional Chief Electoral Officer Bijit Dhar said: “BLOs must verify that each voter genuinely resides at the listed address. In the recent Assembly by-elections, hands-on training for polling officials led to fewer EVM complaints. BLOs must now ensure the voter list is 100% accurate.”
Several BLOs raised questions regarding long-absent voters, handling objections, and the documents required for verification. Dhar clarified that no Special Intensive Revision (SIR) directive has been issued yet. However, if a complaint arises regarding a suspicious voter, Form 7 must be submitted, and the case will be examined by the district office.
“There’s no instruction to revise the roll based on any particular year,” Dhar added. “BLOs must conduct door-to-door visits annually. This time, they will use advanced digital tools to assist in verification. If needed, the concerned voter will be summoned for further scrutiny.” BLOs were trained to use newly introduced apps and digital platforms for voter list updates. They were also asked to check for any “outsiders” or foreign nationals still listed in the rolls. Biplab Adhikari, a BLO from Tufanganj, noted: “This year, the process is more data- and technology-driven. Multiple new forms have been introduced, though no instruction has yet been given regarding citizenship verification.”
Present at the training were Jalpaiguri District Magistrate Shama Parveen, Additional District Magistrate Dhiman Barui, SDOs, election officers from multiple districts, and other senior officials.
