The Election Commission of India has delivered a sharp and uncompromising message to Booth Level Officers (BLOs) across West Bengal, declaring that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will be monitored with “zero tolerance for lapses.”
Chairing a high-level review meeting with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar stressed that the accuracy of voter lists, particularly with regard to fake, deceased, duplicate, or shifted entries, is non-negotiable. He said BLOs would be held personally accountable for every verification they authenticate with their signatures, and responsibility would also extend to every signatory in the chain of approval.
Reiterating the Commission’s push for technological transparency, the CEC highlighted the introduction of a new app-based protocol for scanning and verifying voter photographs. This digital mechanism aims to identify forged or mismatched images with greater precision. BLOs have been instructed to revisit households where photographs are unclear, incorrectly captured, or appear suspicious.
The Commission has emphasised that such corrections must be made even if they extend beyond the December 9 deadline, as ensuring the integrity of the electoral rolls is more important than meeting administrative timelines.
To reinforce compliance and monitor progress firsthand, a senior Election Commission delegation led by Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti will visit Kolkata on November 21.
Bharti, who oversees electoral affairs in West Bengal, will hold meetings with officials from North and South Kolkata, review the implementation of guidelines on the ground, and conduct a comprehensive session with District Election Officers (DEOs) and EROs. The delegation’s visit signals the Commission’s growing concerns over the pace and discipline of the SIR process in the state.
Amid the Commission’s tightening measures, the revision exercise has triggered significant unrest among BLOs across multiple districts. On Saturday, several BLOs staged protests alleging unreasonable workload pressure, including late-night instructions, abrupt orders for digital data entry, and unrealistic daily targets.
Many BLOs reportedly skipped mandatory training sessions as part of their protest, raising operational concerns for the ongoing SIR and prompting immediate scrutiny from senior election officials.
This latest warning from the Election Commission comes shortly after it served show-cause notices to at least eight BLOs for procedural violations. Reports indicated that in several districts, BLOs distributed voter enumeration forms in clubs, open spaces, or shops instead of delivering them door-to-door as mandated.
According to EC guidelines, BLOs are required to personally visit every household in their assigned areas to ensure accuracy and authenticity. The widespread neglect of this requirement has prompted the Commission to reiterate its strict instructions and reinforce the need for full compliance.
As West Bengal’s Special Intensive Revision advances amid political tension and recurrent allegations of manipulation, the Election Commission’s stance has grown sharper.
The overarching message is unmistakable: lapses will not be tolerated, accountability will be enforced at every level, and the final electoral roll must reflect unquestionable accuracy ahead of the upcoming polls.
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