The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the preservation of documents related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal for the next five years. Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar issued this directive during a virtual meeting attended by various officials, including the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer, Manoj Kumar Agarwal, and other district-level officers. The CEC emphasized that any foreign national found on the final voters’ list even after five years could lead to severe consequences for the responsible electoral officers.
At the meeting, the CEC specifically directed District Electoral Officers (DEOs) to accept only the 13 documents listed by the Commission as valid identity proof during the hearing sessions on claims and objections regarding the draft voters’ list in West Bengal. The CEC’s office highlighted instances of unlisted and ineligible documents being submitted by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), stressing the need for vigilance in document scrutiny.
CEC Kumar warned of strict disciplinary action against electoral officers for any future violations in document verification. The CEO’s office was advised to oversee these matters personally. The deadline for hearing sessions on claims and objections regarding the draft voters’ list ends on Saturday, with document scrutiny continuing until February 21. The final voters’ list is scheduled for publication on February 28.
