SIR in Bengal: ECI reviews proposal for Assembly-wise joint supervisory committee

Kolkata, Oct 31 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) is reviewing a proposal to form a joint supervisory committee for each of the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal to monitor the progress of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.

The principal point in the proposal mooted by some political parties is that the Assembly constituency-wise joint supervisory committees will have representation from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, as well as from them.

An insider from the CEO’s office said the argument in favour of this proposal is to ensure transparency in the SIR exercise, given that some political parties have begun raising grievances about its outcome.

The ECI has found merit in the proposal since, in that case, controversies arising over the revision exercise could be avoided.

The SIR for 12 Indian states, including West Bengal, was announced earlier this week. The first stage of the three-stage SIR exercise will start on November 4.

Meanwhile, following a strong note of caution about strict disciplinary action from the CEO's office, the 143 “unwilling’ booth-level officers (BLOs) have finally reported to duty, honouring the deadline set by the office.

The selected BLOs, who had not collected their enrolment letters on this count, have now obtained them and also reported to duty, confirmed an insider from the CEO’s office.

On Wednesday, the CEO’s office set the deadline for all the booth-level officers (BLOs) to report for electoral duty by noon on Thursday.

The CEO’s office also reminded the “unwilling” BLOs that the ECI had the power to even direct a state government to suspend any staff appointed as BLO or any electoral official on charges of non-compliance and also direct the state government concerned to file cases against these erring officials.

The note of caution from the CEO’s office worked, and the unwilling BLOs ultimately reported to duty, honouring the deadline on this count, the CEO’s office insider said.

He also pointed out that while a section of the state government employees was unwilling to take up the assignment of BLOs, there were instances where some government staff had communicated to the CEO’s expressing their grievances of not getting selected as BLOs.

“Some of them had even sent letters to the CEO’s office claiming that they were really willing to be part of the SIR exercise, and the ECI’s decision not to select them as BLOs has made them aggrieved,” the CEO’s office insider said

--IANS

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