The Election Commission of India has instructed micro-observers overseeing hearing sessions to be vigilant regarding discrepancies in dates of birth between Commission records and voter-provided documents. Clear guidance was provided to the observers during a recent training session on their responsibilities in these sessions. Officials from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal, emphasized the importance of noting any mismatches in dates of birth and reporting them for further review at the end of the session.
During the hearing sessions, instances may arise where dates of birth in Commission records do not align with those on the supporting identity documents submitted by voters. Micro-observers are tasked with identifying such discrepancies and escalating them to higher authorities. Additionally, observers are advised to verify the information provided by voters against the supporting documents to ensure the integrity of the hearing sessions. The primary goal is to conduct the sessions meticulously to prevent valid voters from being excluded and to eliminate any fraudulent entries in the final voters’ list.
In the initial phase of the hearing sessions commencing on December 27, over 30 lakh unmapped voters, who lack connections to the 2002 list, will be summoned. Subsequently, in the following stage, around 1.36 crore doubtful voters with questionable family tree data identified through “progeny mapping” will undergo hearings. The State Inclusive Review (SIR) in West Bengal was last conducted in 2002, with the draft voters’ list released on December 16. The final voters’ list is scheduled for publication on February 14 next year, preceding the announcement of polling dates for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.
