The special voter list revision (SIR) in West Bengal identified 1.033 million forms that couldn't be collected. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal disclosed that these forms belong to voters who were not found at home, were registered twice, had passed away, or permanently moved elsewhere. He noted that these constitute 1.35% of all forms distributed.
How Many Forms Have Been Collected So Far?
By 4 PM on Monday, a total of 45.5 million forms had been gathered and digitized out of the 76.4 million forms distributed across the state. A significant portion was collected by booth-level officers (BLOs), whose efforts were praised by Agarwal, calling them the 'real heroes' of this campaign.
BLOs' Hard Work
Starting November 4th, the BLOs reached over 70 million voters within just 20 days. In this operation, more than 80,600 BLOs, 8,000 supervisors, 3,000 assistant electoral registration officers, and 294 chief registration officers were involved. Many BLOs extended their efforts beyond office hours, visiting homes personally.
Resolving Network Issues
To address internet connectivity complaints, help desks have been set up at DM, ERO, and BDO offices. Where internet is lacking, additional Wi-Fi hubs have been installed to ensure seamless online form submissions.
Support for Ill or Deceased BLOs
The CEO stated that district administration is responsible for the medical care of any ill BLO. If needed, alternate BLOs can be appointed by the ERO. Three BLOs have passed away during the SIR process, and reports will be sent to the commission.
On concerns raised by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee regarding contractual workers being prohibited from data entry in SIR, the CEO explained that the election commission's guidelines prohibit the involvement of contracted personnel. Regarding setting up booths in private residential complexes, it was noted that this is a policy-level decision by the election commission.
Leading Districts in Progress
In SIR's progress, the districts of East Bardhaman, Alipurduar, North Dinajpur, Malda, and East Medinipur are leading. The Gosaba Assembly constituency has achieved the best performance with 100% task completion.
