West Bengal has launched a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of its electoral rolls, more than two decades after the last exercise in 2002. The month-long process began on Tuesday and will continue until December 4.
Officials said that over 1.10 crore voter enumeration forms have already been distributed across the state. Approximately 80,681 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are working in all 294 assembly constituencies to ensure smooth implementation.
"More than 1.10 crore enumeration forms were distributed by booth-level officers (BLOs) till 8 pm on Wednesday," an official of the Election Commission said.
"Yesterday, there were no untoward incidents reported from anywhere in the state.
If any resistance is reported against a BLO, we immediately instruct the district electoral officers (DEOs) to investigate," he said.
Exercise being conducted under EC guidelines
Around 7.66 crore forms have been prepared so far, with each eligible voter receiving two copies. Under the SIR guidelines, BLOs are required to countersign both forms. One completed form is retained by the Election Commission, while the second is returned to the voter along with a stamped acknowledgement, which may be needed for future reference.
The exercise aims to update and verify the voter lists to ensure accurate records ahead of upcoming elections. Authorities have urged all residents to carefully fill in their details and submit the forms on time.
EC officials oversee SIR exercise in Bengal
As part of monitoring the SIR implementation, Election Commission Principal Secretary SB Joshi and Deputy Secretary Abhinav Agarwal visited West Bengal, focusing on the districts of Cooch Behar, Alipurduar, and Jalpaiguri, an official stated.
"During the visit, they will evaluate the performance of BLOs and returning officers (ROs), and may interact with political leaders. Representatives from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) will also be present during the review process," PTI quoted him as saying.
Bengal man ends life over 'fear' of SIR
A man from South 24 Parganas district in West Bengal reportedly ended his life on Wednesday, with his family stating that he had been living in fear of being removed from the voter list during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls conducted by the Election Commission.
According to his relatives, Safikul Gazi, a middle-aged resident of Ghushighata in North 24 Parganas, had been residing with his in-laws in Jaypur, Bhangar, for the past few months. They added that Gazi had been struggling with mental distress following injuries sustained in a road accident and had grown increasingly anxious after the commencement of the SIR process in the state.
