ECI warns Bengal BLOs of action over SIR protocol violations
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Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a stern warning to booth-level officers (BLOs) in West Bengal, stating that those who skip mandatory door-to-door visits during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise will face disciplinary action.
The commission has directed the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and District Electoral Officers (DEOs) to act against BLOs who fail to personally distribute enumeration forms, instead targeting specific locations. Any instance of BLOs handing over forms to third parties, such as relatives, friends, or political intermediaries, will be treated as a serious breach of conduct.
The CEO’s office has received complaints that local Trinamool Congress leaders have been collecting forms from BLOs and distributing them to the public, prompting further scrutiny.
Despite these concerns, the CEO’s office reported that 3.04 crore enumeration forms were distributed across West Bengal between Tuesday and Friday, with progress deemed satisfactory compared to 11 other states conducting similar exercises.
The total number of electors in West Bengal, as per the electoral roll dated October 27, stands at 7.66 crore. Voters whose names or their parents’ names appeared in the 2002 rolls, the last time SIR was conducted in the state, need only submit the filled enumeration form to retain their registration. Others must provide one of 11 specified documents to confirm eligibility.
The ECI has instructed DEOs to investigate any irregularities in form distribution and ensure BLOs adhere strictly to the door-to-door protocol.
(Inputs from IANS)