Domicile certificates not valid for SIR hearings in Bengal: Official

Kolkata, Jan 7 (PTI) Domicile certificates submitted as documentary evidence during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings in West Bengal will not be considered valid at present, a senior poll official said on Wednesday.

Voters who have already submitted the domicile certificates may be summoned again for fresh hearings, he added.

The list of acceptable documents under the SIR include permanent address or residence certificates issued by the state, but domicile certificates do not fall under this category, the official at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.

"Under the SIR framework, only documents notified as proof of permanent residence by the state government are admissible. A domicile certificate does not meet that criterion," he added.

He further pointed out that each state follows specific government orders for issuing domicile certificates.

According to the latest guidelines in the state, domicile certificates are mainly issued to certain categories, including non-Bengali candidates applying for jobs in the Army and paramilitary forces.

"There have been complaints that domicile certificates are being issued in violation of the prescribed norms. In such circumstances, the commission cannot rely on these documents as valid documentary proof," he added.

Meanwhile, nearly 10,000 newly issued voter ID cards during the ongoing SIR exercise were returned triggering concern, the official said.

The cards were dispatched to the registered addresses of applicants through the postal department in accordance with established procedures, he said.

However, delivery could not be completed as the intended recipients were not found at the given addresses, he added.

The senior official said no immediate action would be taken in the matter until the publication of the final electoral rolls on February 14.

"Once the final voter list is published, the cards will be resent to them following due process," he told PTI. PTI SCH MNB