EC sets seven-day deadline for voter list mapping in Bengal ahead of SIR rollout

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday directed officials in West Bengal to expedite the voter list mapping process as part of preparations for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), setting a deadline of seven days to complete the process, an official said.

Nearly 40 per cent of the task remains unfinished, with progress reportedly sluggish in several districts, the official said, elaborating that the mapping exercise involves verifying existing voters against the 2002 electoral roll to ensure accuracy in the 2025 list.

At a review meeting held at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in Kolkata during the day, senior Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti issued clear instructions in this regard to district magistrates, electoral registration officers (EROs), and assistant EROs, excluding officials from the disaster-affected districts of North Bengal, the official told PTI.

Also Read: EC to take call on pan-India SIR rollout soon; like to be held before year-end

Concerns Over Sluggish Progress and Delays

Commission officials expressed concern over the pace of work and questioned delays, despite the Puja holidays being cited by some districts. Bharti rejected the justification, stressing the importance of keeping up with the national timeline, he said.

"SIR is being conducted across the country, not just in Bengal. Other states have completed the task or are near completion. If West Bengal lags, it will create problems at the national level. Therefore, we cannot allow more than seven days," Bharti told officials at the meeting.

Reports of alleged irregularities in the voter list also surfaced during the meeting. Bharti warned that any malpractice during the SIR process would invite strict action.

"No one will be spared if complaints of malpractices are received. In Bihar, we have already taken tough measures," he said.

Training and Technology for Booth Level Officers

The quality of work by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who were tasked with ground-level verification, also came under scrutiny.

Director General of the Commission's IT division, Seema Khanna, pointed out that BLOs' tech proficiency remains unsatisfactory and called for immediate completion of training programmes.

She suggested a cluster-based training approach, allowing experienced BLOs to guide others on the use of digital tools.

At the meeting, the officials discussed the functioning of the 'ERONET' app in detail during the meeting, the source said.

"As per the Commission's directive, the BLOs must upload voter data directly from the field using the app, enabling real-time monitoring by the Commission," he said.

Field Visits and Video Conferences

After the main meeting at the CEO's office, the Commission's team visited the North 24 Parganas Zilla Parishad Bhawan and held discussions with election workers from the Rajarhat-Gopalpur and Rajarhat-New Town assembly constituencies. Separate meetings were also held with EROs and AEROs at the district magistrate's office.

Although North Bengal districts were exempted from Wednesday's in-person meeting due to the recent natural disaster, officials from Uttar Dinajpur, Dakshin Dinajpur, and Malda joined via video conference, the official stated.

Also Read: Final electoral roll in Bihar has 7.42 cr voters, 47 lakh fewer than pre-SIR period

Clarifications on Aadhaar and Electoral Roll Issues

The ECI also clarified that the Aadhaar card will not be treated as proof of citizenship during the Special Intensive Revision, an official said.

The clarification came during the meeting, where senior state officials directly asked the visiting ECI delegation whether Aadhaar could be accepted as a valid document for establishing citizenship in the ongoing SIR exercise.

Both Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti and West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal responded at the meeting by citing the Supreme Court's position that Aadhaar serves only as a proof of identity and not of citizenship.

Officials also raised concerns over those whose parents' names are missing from the 2002 electoral roll, which is being used as the base year for the verification process. In such cases, the Commission has mandated formal inquiries or hearings to establish eligibility.

PTI