Kolkata finds itself in a state of uncertainty regarding the crucial process of voter list revision, as the exact start date for the Special Summary Revision (SIR) hearings remains undecided. This ambiguity persists even a full day after the publication of the draft electoral rolls for West Bengal on Tuesday.
Schedule Announcement and Pending Clarity
While the Election Commission of India (EC) had previously announced a broad timeline for the hearing and verification phase, setting it between December 16, 2025, and February 7, 2026, the on-ground commencement is still shrouded in mystery. The key hurdle is the pending communication from the EC to the office of the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) regarding the training schedule for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs).
Bengal CEO Manoj Agarwal addressed the media on Wednesday, stating that the hearings are expected to begin after a period of seven days. He mentioned that the official notice would be auto-generated by the EC starting Thursday, with the concerned ERO responsible for specifying the date, time, and venue. However, Agarwal could not provide a definitive start date, highlighting the procedural delay.
Scale of the Revision and Procedural Hurdles
The scale of this electoral exercise is massive. The hearings will involve a significant portion of the state's electorate:
- Approximately 32 lakh (3.2 million) unmapped voters.
- A section of another 1.7 crore (17 million) people, whose enumeration forms have been flagged for logical discrepancies.
- New applicants seeking voter enrollment.
All these individuals will be required to appear for hearings before the EROs and AEROs. An official familiar with the developments confirmed that while EROs and AEROs are supposed to undergo a one-day training session on form disbursement before the hearings begin, the EC has not yet communicated the schedule for this essential training.
Manpower and Proposed Solutions
For this mammoth task, 294 EROs and 3,059 AEROs have been deployed across West Bengal. The plan allocates, on average, one ERO and ten AEROs per assembly constituency. Each officer is slated to hear 100 cases per day.
Anticipating a potential rush and to expedite the process, the Bengal CEO's office has proposed to the Nirvachan Sadan (EC headquarters) the appointment of an additional 2,800 AEROs. CEO Manoj Agarwal expressed confidence, noting they have adequate time until the February 7 deadline. He also revealed a key proposal to empower AEROs further: "We have asked the EC to allow the same powers to AEROs as EROs'. If allowed, AEROs, too, can disburse forms," Agarwal said. This delegation of authority could significantly streamline the hearing process across the state.
As Kolkata and the rest of West Bengal wait, the administrative machinery awaits clear directives from the Election Commission to kickstart this foundational democratic exercise.
