Amid escalating political tensions over the Special Intensive Revision SIR process, the Election Commission of India ECI has appointed four additional Special Roll Observers to monitor the voter list update in West Bengal.
The ECI announced on Saturday that four IAS officers, currently serving in the central government offices in New Delhi and neighbouring states, will take charge of the oversight.
The newly appointed observers include Sandeep Rewaji Rathore, Director, Ministry of Youth Affairs and Sports, Ratan Biswas, Census Director, Tripura, Dr. Shailesh, Deputy Secretary, the National Health Authority and Vikash Singh, Director, Ministry of Social Justice and Empowerment.
According to the Commission’s directives, the primary responsibility of these observers is to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded and no ineligible names are added to the list. Stationed at the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal, they will supervise the entire process, from the disposal of claims and objections to the final publication of the voter rolls. This move follows the previous deployment of 18 Roll Observers and one Special Roll Observer to oversee the SIR process in the state.
In another development, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee has written to the Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar expressing her displeasure over the way the entire SIR process is being conducted in West Bengal.
