The Election Commission has directed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to suspend Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and Block Development Officer (BDO) Sumitra Pratim Prodhan of Basirhat-II with immediate effect and remove from any electoral roll-related work. In a letter to the Chief Secretary, the commission stated that the officer assigned four officials as Additional AEROs to handle hearings about discrepancies in voter lists. It said that these officials were never officially designated as AEROs under Section 13C of the Representation of the People Act, 1950.
According to the Commission, such action amounts to serious misconduct and violation of statutory provisions. The Commission has ordered that disciplinary proceedings begin right away, with a detailed compliance report due within 48 hours. The Electoral body has also requested regular updates on the status of the disciplinary action.
