Kolkata: The Election Commission issued a stern directive to officials in West Bengal, making it clear that no discrepancies will be tolerated in the preparation of the final electoral roll.
In a virtual meeting with the district election officers of the state, the full bench of the commission emphasised that no foreign national must find a place in the final voter list under any circumstances.
During the meeting, the Commission warned that even if a foreign national is identified in the final list five years later, strict action will be taken against the officials concerned. All related documents will be preserved for years to ensure accountability.
The meeting was attended by West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Kumar Agarwal, along with District Election Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs).
The Commission cautioned that any lapse in the final roll would invite action against the responsible officials, including legal measures if necessary.
It also warned that such action could adversely affect the long-term career prospects of IAS officers.
Sources in the CEO office said that the district magistrate of Cooch Behar was reprimanded for delays in uploading SIR-related documents to the Commission’s website.
Apart from that, district magistrates of Jalpaiguri, Malda, North 24 Parganas, South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore were also criticised over alleged negligence.
The district magistrate of East Bardhaman was advised to refrain from making political remarks, sources in the commission said.
The Commission also sought an explanation from the district magistrate of South 24 Parganas following allegations that a local leader of the All India Trinamool Congress threatened micro-observers in Bhangar.
Questions were also raised over alleged threats issued in support of the leader by the concerned ERO. The Commission asked under what authority EROs and AEROs were summoning micro-observers.
Hearings in most districts regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) have been completed, and document verification is currently underway. Micro-observers have been appointed for this purpose.
The Commission directed observers to immediately report any violations or irregularities by DEOs, EROs or AEROs.
Serious concerns were also raised over the quality of documents submitted during hearings.
In several instances, uploaded documents were found to be illegible, unacceptable or invalid. Some cases involved newspaper clippings, blank pages, or unclear images being uploaded as supporting documents. The Commission questioned how such documents were accepted and directed that all such cases be reported directly for prompt action.
DEOs have been instructed to personally verify that all documents submitted during hearings are Commission-approved.
A deadline of 5 pm on Monday has been set for completion of this process.
The Commission warned that if any unauthorised documents remain in the system after the deadline, the concerned district magistrate will be held personally responsible and action will follow accordingly.
The Election Commission reiterated that it views the integrity of the final voter list as paramount and will not hesitate to take stringent measures to ensure transparency and accuracy in the electoral process.
