E-Paper
Bengal: EC to summon voters with ‘suspicious’ parental age gap amid SIR exercise
“Voters with discrepancies in their enumeration forms, as well as those with suspicious parental age differences, will be summoned…,” an official said
The Election Commission will summon voters whose parents' age gaps 15 years or more, as well as those whose details could not be linked to the 2002 electoral rolls, PTI news agency quoted an official as saying on Wednesday.
“Voters with discrepancies in their enumeration forms, as well as those with suspicious parental age differences, will be summoned to ensure the rolls are accurate and complete,” the official said.
The hearings, which begin next week, will take place as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal. During these hearings, the poll body will verify details of the voters and give them a chance to clarify the inconsistencies in their records, PTI quoted the official as saying.
They further said that these measures were being taken to “uphold the integrity of the electoral process”, and ensure that every eligible voter is accurately represented in the electoral rolls ahead of the upcoming polls.
According to the latest data cited by PTI, 57,52,207 voters in West Bengal have been categorised as uncollectible or untraceable in their enumeration forms. Among these, 24,14,750 are deceased voters, while over 11,57,000 have shifted to other locations. Further, 13,05,627 voters have been listed at more than one location, and more than 11,57,000 forms have not been collected for various reasons.
Special Roll Observers to begin district tours
Ahead of the hearings, the five Special Roll Observers appointed by the EC to oversee the SIR process in the state will begin district tours starting Thursday, according to the PTI report.
The observers arrived in West Bengal on Wednesday, and soon after held a high-level meeting at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) for reviewing the latest updates.
The observers are scheduled to visit all districts and review enumeration, sample verification and related data. They will also meet political parties, following which they will submit their report to the poll body.
