Doubts have surfaced regarding the start of a two-day training program for 8,505 Group-B officers sponsored by the West Bengal government. This program aims to prepare them for the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) within the state. The Election Commission of India (ECI) has yet to confirm the eligibility of individuals from the state-provided list for the revision process.
The ECI is currently scrutinizing the pay bands of the officers listed by the state government to verify their qualification for the revision exercise as Group-B officers. The training program will only proceed once the examination process is complete for the selected officers.
There is a concern that the assessment of the pay bands for these officers may take some time. This delay could potentially coincide with the final stages of the SIR process, as per sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) in West Bengal.
The ECI emphasizes the importance of examining pay bands, as they are considered a reliable method for determining the grade of government officers. In cases of uncertainty, the ECI may need to seek clarification from the state government, leading to further delays.
The state government has released a statement accusing certain interests of sowing confusion about the eligibility of the Group-B officers it provided. However, the statement does not specify who these “vested interests” are. The ECI has extended the deadline for hearings on claims and objections to the draft voters’ list in West Bengal until February 21. The publication date of the final voters’ list has been postponed to February 28 from the initial date of February 14.
Following the final voters’ list publication, the ECI’s full bench will visit Kolkata for two days to assess the post-SIR situation. Subsequently, the ECI will announce the polling dates for the state’s Assembly election.
