SIR halts ‘unmapped’ voter hearings amid political row in West Bengal

the pause applies only to electors flagged as not found by the Election Commission’s central software but were found present on the hard copies of the 2002 rolls.

• West Bengal CEO halts hearings for "unmapped" voters flagged by EC software
• Pause applies to voters present in 2002 hard copies but not found by EC software
• Centre grants Y-plus security to West Bengal CEO amid revision concerns

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West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has directed that all personal hearings for voters marked as “unmapped”, or not found in the 2002 electoral roll, by the Election Commission’s software be put on hold until further verification, according to a report by Indian Express.

The move came after poll officials West Bengal flagged the possible large-scale “system-driven” deletion of electors during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

According to the IE report, the pause applies only to electors flagged as not found by the Election Commission’s central software but were found present on the hard copies of the 2002 rolls.

West Bengal’s poll officials told IE that while checking the hard copies of the 2002 rolls, it was found that electors or their children shown as “unmapped” on the EC’s software were present. According to them, the local Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) could be blamed for centrally generated notices.

However, the pause does not apply to “unmapped” cases flagged by EROs after on-ground verification.

According to the EC’s instructions issued on October 27 for the intensive revision, all existing electors were required to fill forms and trace themselves or a family member to the electoral roll of the last intensive revision in the state, which was conducted in 2002. It means they had to be “mapped” to the 2002 electoral roll, either through their own presence or that of a relative on that roll, to continue as electors.

When the draft electoral roll was published in West Bengal on December 16, 58 lakh electors were deleted after being found dead, shifted or absent.

According to the IE report, the EC software flagged roughly another 31 lakh electors for not being found on the 2002 rolls a “unmapped”. It also generated notices requiring them to prove their eligibility through a personal appearance to remain voters.

The process of personal hearings based on these centrally generated notices began on December 27.

Under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, only the ERO of the Assembly constituency is empowered to doubt an elector’s eligibility and issue a notice calling for a hearing.

On December 27, the Trinamool Congress submitted a memorandum objecting to the “system-generated” notices.

Meanwhile, the Centre has provided Y-plus category security cover to West Bengal’s Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal in view of safety concerns due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.