The Election Commission has clarified that the Permanent Resident Certificate is one of the admissible eligibility documents under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal. In a letter to the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), the Commission said that domicile or Permanent Resident Certificates in West Bengal are issued in accordance with a state government letter dated 2nd of November 1999 and subsequent orders issued thereunder.

 

It directed that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), as competent statutory authorities under the Representation of the People Act, shall accept only those Permanent Resident Certificates that are issued by designated authorities. These authorities include the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Officer, and the Collector of Kolkata. The Commission added that such certificates must be issued in accordance with guidelines strictly notified by the state government. The Commission further directed that these instructions be brought to the notice of all concerned officers for strict compliance.