New Delhi: Following Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to launch a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal from November 1.
All District Election Officers (DEOs) have been instructed to remain alert as the exercise may start at any moment.
According to a report in News18, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal had a meeting with ECI, and communicated to all District Magistrates, stressing that preparations should start immediately and all pending work must be completed without delay.
The CEO’s office will remain open 24×7 from Friday, and all personnel involved in SIR-related work must be present in the office, sources informed.
Every District Election Officer (DEO) and Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) has been directed to set up a help desk in their respective office for the SIR exercise. A multi-party meeting will be called the day after the SIR in the state is officially announced.
The meetings will be held at the state level by the CEO and district level by respective magistrates. Detailed proceedings of these meetings have to be reported to the ECI.
Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar had earlier asserted that the poll body has already decided to conduct an SIR exercise throughout the country, to be announced in due course.
“The Election Commission has already taken a decision to conduct a pan-India SIR in every state and Union Territories. It is a work in progress. The EC will decide on the dates and make a formal announcement,” CEC said during a press conference earlier this month.
ECI has completed the SIR exercise in Bihar ahead of next month’s Assembly elections, resulting in the deletion of 69 lakh voters from the electoral roll due to deaths, inclusion of illegal immigrants and duplicate Voter ID cards.
