Meanwhile, Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a compliance report from West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty by 5PM February 17 on multiple issues, including action against offending election officials and transfer of three IAS officers, among others.
On the last day of the hearing, Agarwal said, “Now the main work is with the AEROs and EROs. They must apply their minds and work without fear and favour, following all the ECI guidelines, rules and regulations and not go by emotions. They must apply their mind and function as per ECI guidelines and electoral Registration rules and act, take decision without fear and favour, during disposal.”
“They have to see those people eligible, as per the documents, is not left out and no ineligible person should come into the electoral rolls,” he added.
“Digital trail is there and the AEROs and EROs will be held accountable for serious lapses which are intentional in nature,” the CEO said.
In the final decision-making stage, the AEROS/ EROs will have to verify the documents and information and do the disposal. “We main aim is to come out with free and fair electoral rolls on February 28 in Bengal, which will be the best, where no eligible voter is deleted and no ineligible voter is included,” CEO added.
The hearing has ended today, following extension of the date. “There were 1.5 crore hearing in total. The SIR exercise has been going on for the last two months. It has been herculean exercise and every person of the state has participated. There were so many stakeholders, including public and political parties. Many people have gone for hearings. Each and every household has been visited by our BLOs. The entire administration from the BLO upwards, BDO and SDOs offices, DM offices, secretariat, CEO office, ECI, Observers and Micro-Observers where lakhs and lakhs of people contributed,” Agarwal noted.The people who are not included in the list can always appear and they can always apply with form-6. The verification and disposal 50 lakh voters are yet to be done, out of 1.5 crore has not been settled yet. Around 7.08 crore names are present following the Draft electoral list.
Till date, altogether 64, 61,000 (64.61 lakh) names are to be deleted. Earlier, after the draft list, altogether 58 lakh names were deleted. Following the hearing, 1 lakh 63 thousand has been identified as ineligible till date.
ECI directions to Chief Secretary
Election Commission of India (ECI) has sought a compliance report from West Bengal Chief Secretary Nandini Chakraborty by 5PM February 17 on multiple issues, including action against offending election officials and transfer of three IAS officers, among others.
ECI has directed the Chief Secretary to release the payment of the BLOs. In addition, it has asked to lodge FIR against four AEROs and EROs in Baruipur and Moyna, revoke transfer of three IAS officers, who have been appointed as Rolls Observers without ECI permission, and suspension of the Basirhat II AERO for conducting illegal hearing and appointing 11 AEROs.
ECI has directed the Chief Secretary to take action against 2 EROs and 2 AEROs of Baruipur East and East Midnapore’s Moyna by February 17.
On January 25, ECI directed the chief secretary to suspend AERO Sumitra Pratim Pradhan. ECI had directed Pradhan be “placed under suspension with immediate effect” and “removed from any electoral roll revision-related work”, and disciplinary proceedings be initiated against him.
