In Kolkata, possessing a passport has become the critical factor determining whether a voter can swiftly resolve an electoral roll discrepancy or face a protracted bureaucratic struggle to prove citizenship. The Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) hearings in the city have revealed a stark divide: passport holders can settle matters in under two minutes, while others are entangled in document hunts.
The Passport Privilege: A Two-Minute Solution
The process for those with the crucial document is remarkably fast. Amlan Dutta, a Jodhpur Park resident and private firm employee, recounted his experience at Jadavpur Vidyapith. After being informed by his Booth Level Officer (BLO) to attend with residential proof documents—which he had already submitted—he presented his passport, renewed in October. This single action allowed him to walk out of the hearing venue shortly after.
Similarly, Dr. Jayesh Kumar Jha, head of surgical oncology at SSKM Hospital, attended a hearing with his wife, Nidhi Dikshit, at Jessop Building for a mapping issue where his name was absent from the 2002 electoral roll. Submitting their passports led to an immediate resolution. Dr. Jha emphasized that the production of the original passport and a signed copy was sufficient, and suggested the Election Commission (EC) should have empowered BLOs to upload passport copies via their app during home visits to prevent hearing anxieties.
Citizens Without Passports Face Document Ordeal
For electors lacking a passport, the scenario is fraught with difficulty. They must assemble multiple documents to convince the Election Commission of their citizenship during the SIR hearing. Many attendees expressed frustration, noting that the same documents they provided for passport issuance—such as Aadhaar, PAN card, and Voter ID—were previously given to BLOs for uploading when their enumeration was flagged. The EC's subsequent call for a hearing for further clarity has been perceived as redundant and burdensome.
Septuagenarian Subrata Gangopadhyay, a retired central government employee, labeled the situation "ridiculous." He was out of the city during the 2002 SIR roll enrollment. The government itself issued him a passport after verifying his residential proof, Aadhaar, PAN, and Voter ID—the very credentials given to the BLO. He feels the EC's lack of trust in these pre-verified documents forced an unnecessary hearing.
Calls for Systemic Reform and Digital Checks
A common sentiment among hearing attendees is that the EC should have mandated BLOs to collect and upload passport copies initially, sparing many the hearing trouble. Dr. Jha also pointed out a viable technological solution: the EC could easily verify uploaded passport images by cross-checking with passport authority databases to confirm genuine data, streamlining the entire verification process.
The current system has inadvertently created a two-tier experience. While a passport serves as a universal quick-fix, its absence turns a routine electoral roll update into a stressful test of citizenship, raising questions about the efficiency and equity of the discrepancy resolution mechanism in Bengal.
