People stand in long queues for document verification at a hearing centre under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, on the outskirts of Siliguri, West Bengal. (PTI Photo)
The West Bengal government has deputed micro-observers to oversee development work in 23 areas of the state, officials said. The deployment is not officially for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) but is linked to the process, which has kept local officers busy and stalled many projects.
The order states senior state officials have been deployed in different districts and areas from time to time to oversee various development schemes, including Amader Para Amader Samadhan and Pathashree. It adds that these officers will visit the field and coordinate with the concerned district magistrates of their assigned areas.
State sources said the observers were appointed because the SIR exercise occupied Block Development Officers, Sub-Divisional Officers and district magistrates for more than two months, with BDO and SDO offices also being used for SIR hearings. “In this situation, development work has been stalled, which has become a main headache for state administration,” a senior official said.
He added that the ruling party is worried that if developmental works such as road construction, drinking-water projects and issuing certificates are not completed before any assembly elections are announced after SIR, it could harm the government. “State administration can’t stop development work,” he said.
Earlier, the commission named former IAS officer Subrata Gupta as a special-role observer and appointed 12 role observers in Bengal at the start of SIR, later recruiting five more from Delhi. Over time the commission increased the number of observers, adding 16 more; at present 34 observers monitor SIR work across the state. In addition, 7,000 micro-observers are overseeing the hearing process at each hearing table.
According to the order, IAS officer Rajesh Kumar Sinha has been deputed for Kolkata (South) and Onkar Singh Meena for South 24 Parganas. Vandana Vadav, Parwez Ahmad Siddiqui and Choten D Lama will oversee Paschim Bardhaman, Murshidabad and Malda. Development work in Kolkata (North) and Nadia will be monitored by Santanu Basu and P. B. Salim. Saumitra Mohan will oversee Darjeeling (excluding Siliguri) and Kalimpong. P. Mohan Gandhi, Sanjay Bansal and Shubhanjan Das will monitor Bankura, Purulia and Purba Bardhaman.
IAS officers Antara Acharya and Sharad Kumar Dwivedi will oversee Hooghly and Howrah. North 24 Parganas, Jhargram and Paschim Medinipur will be overseen by P. Ulagnathan, Kaushik Bhattacharya and Pawan Kadyan. Rajarshi Mitra has been assigned to Siliguri subdivision (Darjeeling). Chaitali Chakrabarti is deputed for Dakshin Dinajpur and Rajat Nanda for Purba Medinipur.
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Four WBCS officers — Bidhan Chandra Ray, Purnendu Kumar Majhi, Sunil Agarwal and Tanvir Afzal — have also been deputed as observers for Coochbehar, Birbhum, Jalpaiguri and Alipurduar, and Uttar Dinajpur respectively.
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
