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Time of India
2 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Prep on for pre-SIR work, CEO writes to CS
Kolkata: In a letter to Bengal chief secretary Manoj Pant, state chief election commissioner (CEO) Manoj Agarwal on Saturday officially communicated that in compliance with EC's orders, "preparatory works are underway to complete all pre-revision activities and the progress is being monitored regularly by the EC. " The EC has decided to initiate special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls across the country, with the exception of Bihar, the schedule for which is yet to be announced. Data from Bengal's 2002 voter list, when the last SIR was conducted, has been uploaded on the state CEO's portal, with the exception of a few assemblies. The CEO's letter was a response to a letter by the Bengal home department on Friday in which it was conveyed that Nabanna, the state secretariat, was not kept in the loop on SIR even though EC had been informed that Bengal was ready for SIR. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata "No consultation was made with the state govt by the office of the CEO," Nandini Chakravorty, additional chief secretary to the home department, had written. Nabanna officials pointed out that the CEO had written to the chief secretary instead of responding to the home department even though the CEO's office operates as a subordinate home (election) branch. The EC has previously written to the secretariat calling for delinking the CEO's office from the home department. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like The Most Beautiful Women In The World Undo On the other hand, EC secretary Pawan Diwan has issued instructions to CEOs to start pre-revision activities. CEOs have been asked to rationalise polling stations because as per fresh norms, each booth can only have a maximum of 1,200 voters, except in extraordinary circumstances. Bengal currently has 81,000 booths earmarked for elections. This number is likely to go up to around 1 lakh, an official said. EC has instructed officials to ensure no eligible voter gets left behind and no ineligible voter gets included in electoral rolls during the conduct of SIR. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Time of India
3 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
State-EC scrap over SIR of electoral roll intensifies
1 2 Kolkata: The Bengal administration and Election Commission scaled up their confrontation over the special intensive revision (SIR) by several notches on Friday. The state asked the Bengal chief electoral officer why he did not consult and intimate the administration before telling the EC that SIR could be done in Bengal. The EC "response" came in the form of a Monday deadline to suspend and lodge FIRs against four state officers and a data entry operator for the enlistment of alleged bogus voters on electoral list. The state letter to CEO Manoj Agarwal came after the latter wrote to EC, saying Bengal was ready for SIR of voter rolls. The CEO's we-are-ready note to the EC came despite the state moving the Supreme Court raising several questions on the SIR issue. The state's missive to state CEO Agarwal said "no consultation or prior intimation was made". You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata The state has told the SC, hearing appeals against the SIR in Bihar, that it wants to be heard in the matter. The SC has allowed the state to file a formal application. A bench of justices Surya Kant and Joymalya Bagchi may hear the matter next week. SIR was last conducted in Bengal in 2002. The state has 7.3 crore voters now. The EC on Monday asked the state to suspend and lodge FIRs against four officers — two Election Returning Officers (EROs) and two Assistant Election Returning Officers (AEROs) — from Baruipur (East) and Moyna assembly constituencies, which was fiercely contested by CM Mamata Banerjee; she said the EC had no jurisdiction over state officers and dared the EC to suspend them. by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like 11 Foods That Help In Healing Knee Pain Naturally | Zen Life Mag Undo Friday's EC note, which came in this backdrop, said the state administration was yet to submit a compliance report; it should be done by Monday, the note added. A preliminary probe indicated that bogus voters had seeped into the electoral rolls in these constituencies because of these officers' negligence. Bengal governor C V Ananda Bose chose not to pick any side on the issue on Friday: "Both the state and the EC are mature constitutional bodies. There can be differences of opinion but they need to be reconciled.... SIR is a routine exercise." The CEO's letter to the EC coincided with the latter uploading Bengal's SIR 2002 data on its website for most assembly segments, barring those in North 24 Parganas and Kulpi in South 24 Parganas. North 24 Parganas, with 33 assembly constituencies, is the state's biggest district with a population of over 1 crore. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and silver prices in your area. Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Raksha Bandhan wishes , messages and quotes !
Economic Times
3 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
ECI asks Bengal Chief Secretary to take action against 4 officials, sets Monday deadline
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the West Bengal Chief Secretary to take immediate action against four officials for irregularities in handling Form-6 applications in Baruipur Purba and Moyna. This directive follows Mamata Banerjee's public declaration against executing the suspension order. Tired of too many ads? Remove Ads The ECI on Friday directed the West Bengal Chief Secretary to take immediate action against four officials - two Electoral Registration Officers (ERO) and two Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AERO) while asking him to furnish a "compliance" report to the poll body by 3pm on August comes a day after chief minister Mamata Banerjee publicly declared that she would not execute the suspension order The compliance report sought by ECI is over the alleged irregularities in disposal of Form-6 applications in Baruipur Purba and Moyna assembly constituencies in West Bengal. "No compliance report indicating specific action taken against each of the officers has been received in the commission so far," ECI wrote in the August 5, ECI had suspended two EROs and two AEROs for committing "grave lapses" and "failing to perform their duties", violating the policy of data security while sharing their login credentials of the ER database to unauthorised persons. ECI had then directed the West Bengal chief secretary to suspend the four officials, lodge FIRs against them and start disciplinary action . Similar action was to be taken against a casual worker as Electoral Officer-West Bengal Manoj Agarwal had forwarded a report on July 29 about "the wrongful addition of names in the electoral rolls by EROs and AEROs of AC No 137 Baruipur and Purba Midnapore district." The West Bengal CEO's office had flagged major alleged irregularities during sample checking of voters' lists in West Bengal's South 24 Parganas and East Midnapore districts.
Time of India
4 days ago
- Politics
- Time of India
Bengal ready for SIR, state CEO writes to poll panel
Kolkata: Bengal's chief electoral officer (CEO) has informed Election Commission that Bengal is ready for special intensive revision (SIR) of voter rolls. The CEO's Wednesday letter to EC coincided with the commission uploading Bengal's SIR 2002 data on its website for most assembly segments, barring those in North 24 Parganas and Kulpi in South 24 Parganas. North 24 Parganas, with 33 assembly constituencies, is the state's biggest district with a population of over 1 crore. Following CEO Manoj Agarwal's letter on SIR preparedness, EC now plans to hold meetings with political parties before starting the process in Bengal. Trinamool has been vocal against the roll revision, both in Parliament and outside. Barring BJP, which has sought an SIR, most parties have publicly questioned the large-scale disenfranchisement of voters by SIR. You Can Also Check: Kolkata AQI | Weather in Kolkata | Bank Holidays in Kolkata | Public Holidays in Kolkata An official said the data of voters' list of 2002 — when SIR was last held in Bengal — was being uploaded on the portal gradually because of server problems. If anyone failed to find his name in the list, they could provide an authentic govt identity proof to get it corrected, the official added. "However, those born between July 1987 and Dec 2004 need to provide their identity proof along with any of their parents. But in case of those born after Dec 2004, their identity proof along with that of their parents are to be provided," the official said. "If you voted in 2001 assembly polls, it is best to check your name in the portal of CEOWB and keep handy the copy of the voters' list as proof in case EC goes for special intensive revision. During the process of SIR, the same data can be used in the enumeration form," a senior official said. H e said that the purpose of releasing the 2002 data was to make people aware so that they can check if their names are in the voters' list. The EC had asked the Bengal CEO to get all vacant posts filled, including those of deputy CEO, joint CEO and additional CEO. However, the names sent by Nabanna did not satisfy them, and the commission wanted another set of officers for these vacant posts. Stay updated with the latest local news from your city on Times of India (TOI). Check upcoming bank holidays , public holidays , and current gold rates and s ilver prices in your area.
Economic Times
4 days ago
- Politics
- Economic Times
West Bengal: ECI publishes 2002 Special Intensive Revision voter lists for 293 assembly constituencies
Synopsis The 2002 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voters' lists for 293 Assembly Constituencies in West Bengal have been published, except for one due to legibility issues, according to the Chief Electoral Officer. Measures are underway to publish the remaining list. The Election Commission is likely to conduct SIR in Bengal in August ahead of 2026 assembly polls. ANI The 2002 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voters' lists for 293 Assembly Constituencies (ACs) have been published, except one, the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO, West Bengal confirmed on Thursday. '2002 SIR of 293 ACs out of total 294 ACs have been published by the WB-CEO's office," West Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal told CEO's office is taking necessary measures to publish the 2002 SIR of the remaining one Assembly Constituency. The SIR of one AC which has not been published as it was reportedly 'not legible'. 'We are doing the needful,' a highly placed source told 2002 SIR voters' lists of more than a hundred Assembly constituencies of Cooch Behar, Jalpaiguri, Darjeeling, North Dinajpur, South Dinajpur, Malda, Nadia, Howrah, Hooghly, West Midnapore, and Bankura districts have been published on the website of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal 2002 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voters' lists for four Assembly constituencies in two districts of West Bengal were not available at that time, it was learnt from the Chief Electoral Officer's office on Monday. The assembly constituencies whose 2002 SIR voter lists were missing-Murarai, Rampurhat, and Rajnagar in Birbhum district and Kulpi in South 24 Parganas last SIR voter list from 23 years back is supposed to be preserved. In West Bengal, the last SIR was conducted two decades ago in 2002. The 2002 SIR forms the basis for the fresh has been completed in West Bengal's neighbouring state of Bihar. According to the Election Commission, after Bihar, SIR will be held simultaneously in the entire informed that the Election Commission is likely to conduct SIR in Bengal in August ahead of 2026 assembly polls. The state currently has 80,680 booths which is likely to increase to one lakh. The ECI has limited the number of voters to 1,200 in each booth since the last Kaliganj Legislative Assembly by-election.
