The West Bengal Civil Service (Executive) Officers’ Association has refuted statements made by West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal regarding the categorization of certain names as “under adjudication” in the final electoral rolls. The Association dismissed the CEO’s remarks attributing the status to the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), calling them “completely untrue.”
In response to the CEO’s communication on social media, the WBCS (Executive) Officers’ Association emphasized that the pending status of the names was not a result of any lapses on the part of the EROs/AEROs. The Association clarified that the names marked as ‘Under Adjudication’ were not excluded due to the actions of the EROs/AEROs but were a consequence of the involvement of micro observers and roll observers appointed by the Election Commission of India.
According to the Association, the EROs/AEROs have been diligently conducting hearings, processing documents, and issuing reasoned orders during this period. However, disagreements from the micro observers and roll observers appointed by the Election Commission of India have led to a significant number of names being classified as ‘Under Adjudication.’ The Association defended the officers, stating that blaming them for the situation is not only unjust but also detrimental to their morale.
The WBCS (Executive) Officers’ Association’s response follows a clarification issued by the Chief Electoral Officer regarding the “under adjudication” category in the final voters’ list. The CEO explained that names marked as ‘Under Adjudication’ in the electoral roll were cases under the consideration of Judicial Officers, working under the guidance of the Calcutta High Court as per the Supreme Court’s order.
