ECI warns Bengal BLOs of action for skipping door-to-door checks

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has sounded a stern warning to booth-level officers (BLOs) in West Bengal, cautioning that any attempt to bypass door-to-door visits during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will invite strict disciplinary action.

In a firm directive to the chief electoral officer (CEO) and District Electoral Officers (DEOs), the poll panel has instructed that errant officials be dealt with “as per rules” for neglecting their core duty of personally distributing enumeration forms to every household — a cornerstone of the revision process.

Sources in the CEO’s office said that the commission has also called for thorough investigations into reports of BLOs limiting distribution to specific localities instead of covering their assigned polling areas. “This exercise is not a desk job; it is a trust-based outreach,” a senior official said, underscoring the importance of personal engagement in maintaining the integrity of the voter rolls.

SIR in Bengal: 2.10 crore enumeration forms distributed in three days

Equally grave, the ECI has directed that any instance of a BLO handing over forms to a third party — whether a friend, relative, or political intermediary — be treated as a serious breach of conduct. The move follows mounting complaints that local Trinamool Congress functionaries were allegedly collecting enumeration forms from BLOs and distributing them themselves, bypassing official protocol.

Meanwhile, progress on the ground has been brisk. The CEO’s office reported that 3.04 crore enumeration forms have been distributed across West Bengal within the first four days of the SIR, which began on Tuesday. Officials described the pace of distribution as “satisfactory,” noting that Bengal’s performance compares favourably with 11 other states where similar exercises are underway.

As of 27 October, West Bengal had 7.66 crore registered voters. The revision, last conducted in 2002, requires all voters whose names — or their parents’ names — were on that year’s rolls to fill out and return the new enumeration forms. Those listed in 2002 will not need to furnish supporting documents, while new applicants or those absent from the earlier rolls must provide one of 11 approved identification documents to retain or secure their place in the updated electoral list.

In the ECI’s words, the SIR is not merely an administrative drill but a reaffirmation of democracy’s most fundamental promise — that every eligible voice finds its rightful place on the rolls.

With IANS inputs