The Election Commission of India (EC) has finally commenced the process of issuing hearing notices to lakhs of unmapped electors in West Bengal, following a significant four-day delay attributed to technical glitches. The move is a critical part of the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
Delay and Details of the Hearing Process
The process, which was supposed to start on December 16 alongside the publication of the draft rolls, only began on Saturday evening. A senior EC official confirmed that voters who received notices on Saturday are scheduled to appear for hearings on December 27, while those receiving notices on Sunday will have their hearings on December 28.
In this first round, approximately 32 lakh voters across the state who are not mapped to any previous SIR roll, including Bengal's own 2002 roll, will be served notices. The office of the state's Chief Electoral Officer has requested the EC to issue these notices in Bengali, as they are currently only in English.
Technical Hiccups Cause Setback
EC officials have squarely blamed the delay on an unprepared IT system. The digital infrastructure required for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to upload documents and for District Election Officers (DEOs) to access them for verification was reportedly not fully functional. "The facilities in both the ERO and DEO logins have not been given so far. This is one of the reasons behind the delay," explained an EC official.
This technical challenge casts a shadow on the EC's promise of a fully digitised SIR process. Sources have also pointed out glitches in the ERONET app, a crucial tool for officers to process forms and manage the revision. Concerns remain about whether the app can handle the additional load of document uploads and accessibility features needed for the hearings.
Stricter Scrutiny Compared to Bihar
The scale of scrutiny in Bengal's SIR exercise appears to be more extensive than in other states. An official highlighted the contrast with Bihar, where hearings were only conducted for about 3 lakh names following complaints. "But Bengal's SIR is different. Here, the hearing notices will be issued to more people than that in Bihar. A robust IT system must be ensured," the official stated.
Apart from the 32 lakh unmapped voters, a percentage of individuals identified with logical discrepancies in their enumeration forms will also be called for hearings. When summoned, these unmapped voters must submit one or more documents notified by the EC for verification.
What Comes Next?
The successful and timely completion of these hearings is crucial for finalising an accurate electoral roll. The delays and technical issues underscore the logistical complexities involved in managing such a massive electoral exercise in a populous state like West Bengal. All eyes will now be on the EC's system to see if it can smoothly manage the high-volume hearing process starting next week.
