SIR row: ECI to appoint observers to keep watch on section of BLOs in West Bengal after alleged negligence
KOLKATA: Rattled by complaints of alleged negligence in supervising the filling up of enumeration forms during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in the state has decided to engage electoral roll observers (ERO) to prevent manipulations in the exercise. Sources said senior government officers will be appointed as EROs to keep watch on a section of booth level officers (BLOs) who are the backbone of the ongoing SIR process in the state. The CEO office took the unheard-of move after issuing show-cause notices to seven BLOs in Kolkatas Beliaghata constituency over alleged lapses in the digitisation of SIR enumeration forms. According to the sources, the complaint pertains to incomplete or incorrect digitisation of voter data collected during the ongoing revision exercise. The BLOs have been asked to explain why the assigned work was not carried out properly. Disciplinary action may follow if their responses are found inadequate. The Election Commission is currently conducting the second phase of the SIR exercise across 12 states and Union Territories including West Bengal, which goes to the polls early next year. The revision process began on 4 November and will continue until 4 December. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on 9 December, while the final rolls will be released on 7 February. Earlier this month, the opposition BJP had written a letter to the CEO, alleging appointment of BLOs affiliated to the ruling Trinamool Congress in Nandigram Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district. Lock BLOs inside your house, don't let them delete names from voter list: Jharkhand minister on SIR The party alleged that the ruling Trinamool Congress' activists or their spouses have been appointed as BLOs to give the party electoral benefits in the 2026 assembly polls in the state. Despite drawing attention of respective district magistrates as well district electoral officers (DEOs) the improper appointment of BLOs continues. In most cases the incumbent BLO is directly a TMC activist/worker or linked through his/her spouse, stated a complaint lodged by the BJP with the Election Commission of India (ECI). With the enumeration phase of the SIR just days away, complaints regarding the wrong appointment of BLOs continue, which will vitiate the process. Since West Bengal will be poll-bound in a few months, there will not be any chance to correct the wrong done by the BLOs who clearly have a party affiliation, the BJP claimed. On the other hand, BLOs belonging to a newly-floated platform BLO Adhikar Raksha Committee backed by the Trinamool Congress staged a march on Monday afternoon in the city protesting what it describes as excessive workload and systemic lapses in the exercise. The march, which started from Sealdah area around 12.30 pm, reached the CEO office at BBD Bag around 2 pm and staged a protest demanding extension of the deadline for digitisation of enumeration forms. The agitating BLOs alleged that the national poll body is working as a BJP agent. Two BLOs have died by suicide triggered by SIR-related work pressure and another succumbed to a cerebral attack since 9 November in the state. Hours after BLO Rinku Tarafdar, a 53-year-old para teacher of a local school in Krishnagar in Nadia district, died by suicide on Thursday, chief minister Mamata Banerjee lashed out at the Election Commission of India (ECI), asking how many more BLOs must die under the SIR drive. Struggling to counter Opposition attack, BJP launches SIR training for cadre
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