Bengal's draft voter lists reach BLOs 24 hours before online release

Kolkata, Dec 15 (PTI) Ahead of the official publication of the West Bengal draft electoral rolls on Tuesday, booth-level officers (BLOs) across the state received access to the list, an official said.

Through a dedicated application, BLOs were able to view the draft rolls booth-wise to facilitate preliminary verification, the official said on Monday.

"The draft list will go live on Tuesday noon for public access both online and offline. The BLOs have already received the draft list," the official told PTI.

Explaining how voters can verify their details, the official said people can check their names at the block development office, contact their respective BLOs, or access the information online.

"Voters can also verify their details through websites like ceowestbengal.wb.gov.in/SIR, voters.eci.gov.in or the ECINET mobile application," he said.

The draft rolls include all entries, including those submitted through enumeration forms, as well as names of deceased persons, missing voters and duplicate entries, the official added.

The poll panel official said that the draft voter list under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process will be shared with all recognised political parties, though printed copies will not be immediately available at Block Development Officer (BDO) and Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) offices.

According to Commission estimates based on data verification, more than 5.7 million voters names may be deleted from the rolls, including those of deceased, relocated and duplicate voters. The figures have led to anxiety among voters, though officials maintained there was no cause for concern.

"On Tuesday, printed copies of the draft list would be handed over to all recognised political parties in each district," he said.

The draft voter list will not be displayed immediately at BDO and SDO offices due to the logistical challenge of printing large volumes within a short timeframe, he also stated.

"However, the lists will be kept with district magistrates and will remain accessible through online portals, mobile applications and BLOs, ensuring voters can verify their details without difficulty," he said.

Hearings on claims and objections will be conducted after the publication of the draft list, though officials at the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Office (CEO) indicated the process may begin only after five to seven days.

"The hearings would commence once formal guidelines are received," he said.

Incidentally, the Election Commission is yet to issue detailed instructions on the conduct and venue of the hearings.

The EC will continue verification of voter data even after the publication of the draft voter list under the SIR process, he said, asserting that no name will be removed solely on the basis of suspicion.

"If allegations are raised regarding an individual's citizenship status, verification will be carried out through the Foreigners Regional Registration Office (FRRO) and the Ministry of Home Affairs," he said, adding that district magistrates across West Bengal have been informed of the procedure.

According to the draft voter list prepared under the SIR, the poll body has identified 58.21 lakh voter names for deletion, the senior official said.

The list includes 12.20 lakh missing voters, 24.17 lakh deceased voters, 19.88 lakh relocated voters, and 1.38 lakh fake voters, he added. PTI SCH MNB NN