Five special roll observers for SIR to arrive in Bengal on Wednesday: CEO

Kolkata, Dec 9 (PTI) Five special roll observers (SROs), appointed by the Election Commission, will arrive in West Bengal on December 10 to oversee the work related to the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, CEO Manoj Agarwal said on Tuesday.

Ministry of Defence Joint Secretary Kumar Ravi Kant Singh was appointed the SRO for the Presidency Division, while MHA Joint Secretary Niraj Kumar Bansod was assigned the responsibility of the Medinipur Division.

I&B Ministry Joint Secretary Krishna Kumar Nirala was named the SRO for the Burdwan Division; Department of Economic Affairs Joint Secretary Alok Tiwari has been made the SRO for the Malda Division, and Department of Rural Development Joint Secretary Pankaj Yadav has been appointed the SRO for the Jalpaiguri Division.

"They will arrive tomorrow," Agarwal told reporters in response to a question.

Agarwal said the CEO's office is yet to get reports from the DEOs (district election officers) about the deaths of booth-level officers (BLOs) allegedly due to work stress caused by SIR.

"We are waiting for any such report, based on which we can take action," he told reporters at an SIR assistance camp for sex workers at Sonagachi.

The EC had earlier appointed retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as the special roll observer in connection with the SIR, besides setting up a team of 12 IAS officers as electoral roll observers to oversee the key aspects of preparation of the electoral roll and help the DEOs and EROs in taking corrective measures.

An official from the CEO's office earlier said that the appointment of SROs ensures enhanced scrutiny and transparency in the SIR process across all divisions. Their presence will strengthen monitoring and compliance with EC norms.

The observers will supervise electoral roll-related activities and ensure adherence to EC guidelines in their respective jurisdictions.

The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state began on November 4 with the distribution of enumeration forms, which will continue till December 11. The draft electoral rolls will be published on December 16, and the final voters' list will be issued on February 14, 2026. PTI SUS ACD