The West Bengal administration has announced government jobs for family members of 61 individuals affected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list, including 56 who lost their lives and five others whose civil rights were allegedly severely violated.
The decision was finalised at a high-level cabinet meeting held at Nabanna on Thursday. It is learnt that one member from each of the 61 families will be appointed to a government post as compensation and support.
The move comes in the wake of reports highlighting the deaths of several workers allegedly due to excessive workload and related complications during the SIR process. Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier expressed concern over the incidents and the hardships faced by affected families.
Officials confirmed that, subject to verification of educational qualifications and other eligibility criteria, the 61 selected family members will be appointed as home guards under the state police. The recruitment process will be conducted by the Home Department with instructions to ensure transparency and speedy completion.
Beneficiary families belong to multiple districts across the state, including Purulia, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas, East Medinipur, East Burdwan, Howrah, Murshidabad, Bankura, Birbhum, Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Malda, South Dinajpur and Nadia.
District Magistrates and Superintendents of Police have been directed to closely monitor the process and ensure that there are no bureaucratic delays. The appointments will be completed following expedited document verification procedures.
The cabinet’s decision is being viewed by some as politically significant ahead of the upcoming Assembly elections. Political observers believe the SIR issue has emerged as a central theme in the electoral discourse.
“The SIR issue has taken center stage in the upcoming electoral battle. Most of the Chief Minister’s political activities are now focused on the SIR exercise, which triggered concerns over citizenship and voting rights among a section of the people of the state, pushing other issues like alleged corruption and civic amenities to the background,” said political science professor Bishnupriya Dutta Gupta.
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