The Election Commission (EC) has suspended seven Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in West Bengal over “serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory powers” in connection with the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
The EC’s action comes after repeated directions to the TMC government in the state to act against “erring” officials.
On Friday, the EC had summoned state Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty to New Delhi and asked her to take necessary action immediately against the officers, sources in the poll panel said.
The seven AEROs named in the suspension letter, dated February 15 (Sunday), are as follows Joint Block Development Officer Satyajit Das and Fishery Extension Officer Joydeep Kundu – both AEROs of Canning Purbo Assembly constituency.
Assistant Director of Agriculture Sheikh Murshid Alam and AERO for Suti Assembly constituency
Women Development Office Dalia Ray Choudhury and AERO of Maynaguri Assembly constituency
Revenue Officer Nitish Das and AERO of Farakka Assembly constituency
Assistant Director of Agriculture Sefaur Rahaman and AERO of Samserganj Assembly constituency
Joint Block Development Officer Debashis Biswas and AERO of Debra Assembly constituency
According to EC sources, the Supreme Court had earlier asked the EC to take action against two of the seven officers, but the state government was reluctant to do so.
“These officers face charges of serious misconduct, dereliction of duty, and misuse of statutory powers in connection with the SIR exercise,” said an official, adding the EC used powers under Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, to take action against the seven state government employees working on deputation for the poll panel.
Earlier this month, the Supreme Court, while hearing a bunch of petitions, including the one filed by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, had warned the states that it would not allow anyone to “create any impediment” in the completion of the SIR of electoral rolls.
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Welcoming the EC’s decision to suspend the seven officers, the Opposition BJP said it was the “first time” that the poll panel exercised its statutory authority to directly penalise officers found guilty of SIR-related misconduct.
“It was an unprecedented move from the EC. No such steps were taken against government officials of any other state where the SIR exercise is being conducted. The officers indulged in serious violations of the Commission’s directives. They accepted fake school leaving certificates, PAN cards, and notarized affidavits as documents during the verification phase. They acted under pressure of the TMC and district top brass to include names of fake voters, as also under signals of the chief secretary,” BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari alleged.
Clear objections, claims filed under Form 7: EC to state
Meanwhile, the Election Commission on Monday directed the West Bengal government to ensure the speedy disposal of claims and objections filed under Form 7 of the SIR exercise.
Earlier this month, a three-member Bench of the Supreme Court, led by Chief Justice of India Surya Kant, had extended the deadline for the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs)/ Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to complete scrutiny of documents.
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Seeking a compliance report of the Supreme Court’s February 9 order, the EC said that it has directed that all the objections in Form 7s received till date in the offices of the CEO and DEOs shall be sent to EROs/AEROs immediately and latest by February 16 for disposal of the same.”
The direction cited reports regarding the alleged burning of records of Form 7 objections, an issue of which the EC said it had taken cognisance. The EC is set to publish the final electoral roll on February 28.
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
