The Election Commission of India (ECI) has enlisted Oriya interpreters-cum-translators for four gram panchayats in West Midnapore district, West Bengal. These gram panchayats, situated near the West Bengal-Odisha border, have a majority of Oriya-speaking voters. Due to this linguistic difference, interpreters are needed for hearings on claims and objections related to the draft voters’ list.
An official from the CEO’s office mentioned that the voters in these areas have ancestral ties to Odisha and primarily engage in agriculture and animal husbandry. Many of them, including new brides from Odisha, are only fluent in Oriya. This language barrier has made communication challenging for electoral officers, leading to the necessity of Oriya interpreters-cum-translators during the hearing sessions.
While Oriya-speaking voters are spread across East and West Midnapore districts, a significant concentration is found in these four gram panchayats under the Dantan and Mohanpur community development blocks. The process of interacting with and translating Oriya scripts on enumeration forms for these voters is time-consuming, resulting in longer hearing sessions compared to others.
The draft voters’ list was released on December 16, with the final list scheduled for publication on February 14. Following this, the ECI will announce the polling dates for the upcoming Assembly elections in West Bengal.
