Raising fresh concerns over the transparency of the electoral process in West Bengal, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed immediate disciplinary action against seven Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in the state over alleged serious irregularities in Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-related work.
In a letter sent to the Chief Secretary of the West Bengal government at Nabanna, the state secretariat, the Commission ordered the immediate suspension of the accused officials and initiation of departmental disciplinary proceedings. The ECI also instructed the concerned Cadre Controlling Authority to ensure that the inquiry process is completed at the earliest and to keep the Commission informed about its progress.
According to the order, action has been sought against seven AEROs across six Assembly constituencies in the state. The officials named include two from Canning East — Satyajit Das and Joydeep Kundu — along with Sheikh Murshid Khan (Suti, Murshidabad), Dalia Roychowdhury (Mainaguri), Sefadur Rahman (Shamsherganj), Nitish Das (Farakka) and Debashis Biswas (Debra).
Significantly, the Commission reminded the state administration that no effective action had been taken earlier against two of the accused officers despite directions from the Supreme Court of India. The latest communication reiterates the need to comply with those directives and expands the list by adding five more officials.
The ECI stated that the action has been initiated following allegations of serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory powers during SIR-related activities.
Meanwhile, in connection with alleged irregularities in the voter list, the Commission had summoned West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty to New Delhi on Friday. She appeared before the Commission and was reportedly given specific instructions after being asked to explain alleged instances of non-compliance with prior directives.
The latest move by the Election Commission is being viewed as a strong step aimed at ensuring accountability and safeguarding the integrity and transparency of the electoral process in the state.
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