Kolkata, 22 December (H.S.) :

Ahead of the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in West Bengal, Chief Minister and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee on Monday issued detailed guidelines to the party’s Booth-Level Assistants (BLAs), stressing vigilance, transparency and strong grassroots engagement to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded.

Addressing a conference at the Netaji Indoor Stadium in Kolkata, Banerjee said that lists of deceased, transferred and absent voters would be published on official websites and displayed at district, subdivision, block and municipal offices. Based on these lists, BLAs were instructed to carry out door-to-door verification to confirm whether voters shown as deleted or absent were actually residing at the given addresses. If such voters were found, BLAs were asked to assist them in submitting Form 6 along with Annexure 4 to the Electoral Registration Officer for re-enrolment.

The Chief Minister also laid special emphasis on voters marked as “unmapped” by Booth Level Officers. She directed BLAs to ensure that all such voters had received notices and were fully prepared for hearings with a copy of the 2002 electoral roll and any one of the 11 documents prescribed by the Election Commission.

For voters lacking the required documents, Banerjee advised immediate application for permanent residential certificates or caste certificates, including Scheduled Caste, Scheduled Tribe or Other Backward Class, as applicable. To facilitate this process, government camps will be organised at Block Development Officer offices.

She further instructed BLAs to closely monitor cases flagged as having “logical discrepancies” in the BLO mobile application and to ensure that concerned voters attend hearings with all necessary documents. Emphasising that voters should not face unnecessary harassment, Banerjee called for the organisation of booth-level camps to provide assistance during the process.

The Chief Minister assigned clear responsibility to MLAs, block presidents and councillors, warning that non-performing leaders could be replaced if required, while those who worked sincerely would be given greater responsibility.

Banerjee also directed close scrutiny of applications submitted through Form 6 and Form 8. She said special verification was essential in cases where applicants aged 20 years or above were seeking inclusion through Form 6. On applications seeking deletion of names through Form 8, she stressed the need for local verification, adding that migrant workers should be asked to appear at least once in their own long-term interest.

Concluding her address, the Chief Minister urged Booth-Level Assistants to act responsibly and ensure the protection of the voting rights of genuine residents during the crucial second phase of the SIR process.

Hindusthan Samachar / Satya Prakash Singh