SIR in Bengal: Five Additional Special Roll Observers Appointed to Detect ‘Deliberate Errors’ in Voter Data

Kolkata -Five additional special roll observers have been appointed in West Bengal to monitor the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with a key mandate to identify “deliberate” data entry errors during the second stage of the process, which begins after the draft voters’ list is published on December 16.

According to officials in the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, these observers will not only track specific intentional errors in voter data but also identify “persons within the system” responsible for such acts and recommend disciplinary measures.

In the second stage of the SIR, there will also be a performance review of booth-level officers (BLOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) based on their work during the first phase.

Beginning after December 16, the second stage includes filing claims and objections, followed by the notice phase — issuance, hearing, verification, and decision-making on enumeration forms, along with the disposal of claims and objections. EROs will conduct these processes simultaneously.

The third and final stage — publication of the final electoral roll — is scheduled for February 14. Soon after, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is expected to announce the dates for the crucial West Bengal Assembly elections.

Meanwhile, the number of booths in West Bengal that initially showed no deceased voters, no duplicate entries, and no shifted voters has drastically changed. As of Monday afternoon, the number has dropped from 2,208 (reported on December 1) to only two.

In another development, the ECI has withdrawn its plan to set up polling booths inside multi-tower housing complexes. This decision follows the inability of District Magistrates and District Electoral Officers to identify a sufficient number of suitable housing complexes. So far, only two such complexes have been found across the state.

—With inputs from IANS