Amid growing controversy over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has further tightened its monitoring mechanism in the state. Twelve Roll Observers have already been deputed from Delhi, while senior officer Subrata Gupta is serving as a Special Roll Observer. In addition, the Commission has recently appointed four more senior IAS officers to oversee the process. However, sources indicate that the ECI is still not fully satisfied and is preparing to send more Roll Observers to the state shortly.
According to Commission sources, the decision follows allegations that the SIR process was not conducted in accordance with prescribed rules in several districts. The ECI has identified 10 to 12 districts where irregularities are suspected, with North Bengal emerging as a key area of concern. It is alleged that voter list revision work in these districts was either incomplete or improperly carried out. To strengthen field-level supervision, the Commission has decided to deploy additional observers, who are expected to arrive in West Bengal as early as Wednesday.
The Commission has issued a warning, stating that strict action will be taken if negligence is proven against any Booth Level Officer (BLO) or other officials involved in the SIR process.
“We have made it clear that no errors or irregularities will be tolerated and that the highest level of strictness will be maintained to ensure transparency and adherence to rules,” said an ECI official.
The SIR is currently being conducted in 12 states and union territories across the country. West Bengal has witnessed the maximum controversy related to the process. Incidents such as notices being issued in the names of deceased voters, allegations of harassment of ordinary citizens, and discontent among BLOs have pushed Bengal’s SIR exercise into the national spotlight.
In a development, the Supreme Court has intervened in the matter, directing the Commission to publish the complete list of “logical discrepancies” identified during the SIR. The apex court has further ordered that this list must be made public and that receipts must be issued as acknowledgment whenever documents are collected during hearings.
The directive has brought relief to the ruling Trinamool Congress, which has claimed that it had been demanding the publication of the list of logical discrepancies from the outset. Political observers believe the Supreme Court’s observations have increased pressure on both the Commission and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Also read: Abhishek steps up attack on BJP, EC after SC’s SIR verdict
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