The Election Commission of India is gearing up to commence the crucial hearing process for the ongoing Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal shortly after Christmas. According to officials, the proceedings are tentatively scheduled to begin on December 26 or 27.
First-Ever Deployment of Micro-Observers
In a significant move to ensure transparency and accuracy, the Commission on Friday ordered the appointment of 3,300 micro-observers. This marks the first time such officials are being deployed for an SIR exercise in any state or Union Territory across India. Notably, even Bihar, which conducted its SIR a few months prior, did not have this system in place.
These micro-observers will be drawn from a pool of central government officers of Group 'B' level or above, including equivalent officers from central Public Sector Undertakings and nationalised banks. Their primary role will be to monitor the hearing proceedings and oversee the work of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant EROs (AEROs) on the ground.
"The commission has agreed to your proposal," the EC stated in a letter to the state's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Manoj Agarwal, who had initially suggested the appointment on December 12. The CEO's office is now authorised to prepare a database, organise training, and deploy these observers, who will receive a consolidated remuneration of Rs 30,000.
Hearing Process and Manpower
The hearing mechanism is designed for scale and efficiency. As per the EC's plan, one ERO and ten AEROs will conduct hearings per assembly constituency. This arrangement allows the process to run simultaneously in 11 rooms per segment, necessitating 11 micro-observers per assembly constituency as well.
A senior EC official revealed that hearing notices are being generated and will start reaching voters from Saturday. Initially, only unmapped voters will receive these notices. The Commission is confident in its preparedness. "We have enough manpower and are hopeful of completing the hearing process within 20 days," the official told TOI. Documents submitted by applicants during the hearings will be routed to the District Magistrate's office for verification before being uploaded online.
Focus on Unmapped Voters and Logistics
On the ground, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are preparing for the task. One BLO, after a meeting with his AERO supervisor on Friday, mentioned having over 100 voters to call for hearings. The first phase will focus on unmapped voters and those with glaring logical discrepancies in their existing roll data.
To streamline the process, the Commission will hold a meeting with EROs, AEROs, District Election Officers (DEOs), and BLOs at Alipore on Saturday to finalise the list of documents voters need to produce. However, the EC has clarified that it currently has no plans to install CCTVs or arrange webcasting from the hearing rooms, which will be set up in offices of BDOs, SDOs, DMs, or other adjacent government buildings.
This large-scale exercise, supported by 12 electoral roll observers and 6 special electoral roll observers, underscores the Commission's drive to prepare a comprehensive and error-free voters' list for West Bengal.
