EC issues notices to poll officers in West Bengal

NEw DelhiWith thomas more than tetrad years having passed since the feb 14 deadline for uploading elector’s documents under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal (WB), nearly 115,000 applications remain unuploaded, prompting the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday to issue show-cause notices to a majority of the state’s poll officers ahead of the publication of the final electoral roll on February 28.WB has 294 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and 3,059 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and ECI officials indicated that a substantial number of them will face action for failing to digitise documents within the mandated timeline. All 24 District Election Officers (DEOs) have also been asked to furnish explanations and submit compliance reports to the Commission. February 14 was the last date for uploading documents submitted during the hearing phase.On the notices, a higher ECI official, requesting anonymity, said “uploading all hearing documents within the prescribed timeline is not optional. Clear written instructions were issued to every ERO, AERO and DEO. They are now being asked to explain the delay. If the replies are found unsatisfactory, or responsibility is fixed for negligence or dereliction of duty, appropriate disciplinary proceedings will be initiated against the concerned officials.”The Commission has set February 21 as the deadline to clear all pending uploads and reconcile documentation, which is also the deadline for the scrutiny and disposal phase of the uploaded documents.Under the SIR schedule, documents such as proof of birth, identity and citizenship submitted during hearings had to be uploaded by February 14 to ensure inclusion in the final roll. ECI officials acknowledged that delays at this stage could potentially result in wrongful exclusions and legal challenges if not rectified before publication.To prevent disenfranchisement, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been directed to assist affected applicants through fresh Form-6 submissions or alternative verification wherever required.The SIR, with January 1, 2026 as the qualifying date, is part of a nationwide electoral roll purification exercise. According to ECI’s own figures referenced during a Supreme Court hearing, while the SIR hearing phase in West Bengal has wrapped up, around 13.9 million voters have been heard and documents for approximately 10.6 million have been successfully uploaded with efforts ongoing to complete the remainder before publication of the final list.In earlier phases of the SIR, draft rolls published in the state saw over 5.8 million names removed from the voters’ list after initial scrutiny of duplications, migrations and deaths, a major reshaping of the electorate ahead of the Assembly polls.The exercise has also attracted legal scrutiny. A three-judge bench of the Supreme Court has directed enhanced transparency in cases flagged for logical discrepancies and extended the hearing timeline to ensure due process for affected voters.