The Election Commission of India (ECI) Thursday started a thorough scrutiny of documents submitted during the hearing phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal.
Dubbed ‘Super Checking’ by ECI officials, several teams have been formed to evaluate whether the voter list revision process was followed correctly and if any document not approved by the Commission was accepted during the hearings. Each team will have one roll observer and 25 micro observers.
ECI sources said several anomalies have come to the attention of the Commission on the very first day of the ‘Super Checking’ itself.
“After verifying all documents during ‘Super Checking’, if it is proven that someone has submitted documents not mentioned in the approved list of documents, then the voter concerned will be treated as invalid, and their name will be struck off the final SIR list,” said an ECI source.
The source further said several complaints alleging irregularities regarding the uploading of documents during the SIR hearing process have been raised with ECI. Special observers have submitted reports identifying several instances of deliberate wrongdoings, and naming the electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) responsible for them.
Explaining the irregularities, the ECI source said, “Observers have noticed that in case of a voter who appeared in the hearing, passport was mentioned as the document verified, but pictures of Aadhaar card and PAN card were uploaded. But no passport photo has been uploaded. Such mistakes are not mere carelessness.”
The ECI earlier deputed retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as the special roll observer for the state. Under him, roll observers and more than 7,000 micro observers were deployed to oversee the hearing process.
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Meanwhile, Deputy Election Commissioner Sanjay Kumar arrived in Bengal Thursday. He will stay in the state for three days. During this time, Kumar and his team will visit several districts in both North Bengal and South Bengal to oversee the SIR process.
Atri Mitra is a highly accomplished Special Correspondent for The Indian Express, bringing over 20 years of experience to his reporting. His work is characterized by deep regional knowledge and a focus on critical administrative and political developments, establishing strong Expertise and Authority in his domain.
Experience
Current Role: Special Correspondent, The Indian Express.
Decades of Experience: Over two decades of extensive reporting experience, primarily covering administration and political news.
Geographical Focus: Holds significant reporting experience from West Bengal, Bihar, and the North-East, providing a comprehensive understanding of the socio-political landscape in these regions.
Key Coverage: Has dedicated more than ten years to covering administration and political news, with a keen focus on political developments in West Bengal.
Electoral Reporting: Demonstrated a commitment to crucial political moments, having covered the 2009 Lok Sabha election and 2010 assembly elections during his time at Anandabazar Patrika, and the 2019 Bihar Lok Sabha election while working with News18-Bangla.
Career Foundation: Began his career at the leading vernacular daily Anandabazar Patrika, where he worked for more than fifteen years, including a three-year stint as the Bihar correspondent.
Education
Advanced Degree: Holds a Master's degree in Economics from Rabindrabharati University, providing an analytical framework for his political and administrative reporting.
Undergraduate Education: Holds a Bachelor's degree from Calcutta University.
Prestigious Alumni: His educational background includes attending esteemed institutions: he is an alumnus of St. Xavier's, Kolkata and Ramakrishna Mission Asrama, Narendrapur.
Atri Mitra's decades of dedicated reporting, substantial focus on political and administrative beats, and solid academic credentials make him a trusted and authoritative source for news and analysis from Eastern and North-Eastern India. ... Read More
