According to the instructions of the ECI, no booth will consist of more than 1,200 voters from now onwards. Following the instruction, the number of booths in West Bengal has been increased to a little over 94,000 from 80,680, the source informed. The increased number of booths has already been sent to all the recognized political parties in the state.Following the completion of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has now turned its focus to other states and union territories, including West Bengal. Last month, the poll panel had directed all Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) to complete preparatory measures for the voter list revision process.The ECI had issued letters to CEO offices across these regions, instructing them to finalize all necessary arrangements for the upcoming SIR drive. The commission emphasized the need for timely completion of key tasks, including the recruitment and training of election personnel, to ensure a smooth revision process.In the letter, the ECI asked the states to complete the recruitment of Booth Level Officers (BLOs), BLO Supervisors, Booth Level Agents (BLAs) and also the training of BLOs and BLO supervisors. The CEOs were also asked to submit the relevant information quickly.Last time, the SIR of the voter lists in West Bengal was done more than two decades ago in 2002.Another source in the CEO office said that under the leadership of the CEO, the District Election Officer or District Magistrate (DEO), Additional District Magistrate, Electoral Registration Officer (ERO), Additional Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct the survey at the homes of everyone voters. Each person will have to fill a form and submit the necessary information which will be verified.Under the supervision of the CEO, district officials—including District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, and BLOs—will carry out a door-to-door survey to verify voter details. While individuals already listed in the 2002 SIR list or those with guardians listed will not need additional documentation, new voters and migrants from other states must submit specified documents to establish citizenship and family links. The verification process can also be completed online, with political party representatives participating as observers throughout the exercise.
Source link
