West Bengal Election Chief Issues Stern Warning to Micro Observers
The Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal has delivered a firm message to thousands of micro observers deployed across the state. He warned them to take their duties seriously or face disciplinary consequences. This warning comes during the crucial second stage of the Special Intensive Revision process for electoral rolls.
Strict Instructions for Electoral Oversight
Nearly four thousand micro observers are currently working throughout West Bengal. These officials have been drawn from various central government departments and nationalized banks. Their primary responsibility involves scrutinizing electoral roll entries until the final publication of voter lists.
A senior official from the West Bengal CEO's office expressed concern about performance issues. "In many cases, micro observers are reportedly not obeying their duties," the official stated. "This work is essential for creating flawless final electoral rolls. Their duty involves scrutinizing the entire hearing process and identifying manual mistakes."
Official Letter Highlights Concerns
The Chief Electoral Officer sent a formal letter addressing these concerns. The letter clarified that micro observers remain under the CEO's disciplinary control during their engagement period. Election Commission teams have been visiting hearing venues across West Bengal. They discovered that micro observers are not performing their assigned duties properly.
The letter specifically mentioned verification failures. "Even the signatures of electors visiting hearing premises are not being properly verified by deployed micro observers," it noted. The communication ended with a clear ultimatum. "Micro observers should take their assigned works very seriously. In case of dereliction of duties, disciplinary proceedings will follow."
What Micro Observers Must Do
These officials carry multiple important responsibilities during the SIR process:
- Check entries in enumeration forms digitized by booth-level officers
- Compare electoral rolls with death and birth registers and other data
- Examine documents submitted by electors who received notices from registration officers
- Review documents submitted by electors with claims and objections
- Observe hearing proceedings and capture group photographs with electors and officers
- Upload photographs showing clearly visible faces during hearings
- Jointly verify signatures and thumb impressions of electors along with officers
- Identify deviations or discrepancies in electoral roll preparation
- Assist electoral roll observers with statistical analysis of roll features
- Complete any additional work assigned by supervisory officers
- Submit findings to appropriate electoral authorities
Scale of the Operation
The electoral revision process involves substantial infrastructure across West Bengal. Each constituency has one Electoral Registration Officer and ten Assistant Electoral Registration Officers. There are eleven hearing tables per constituency, totaling 3,234 tables for all 294 constituencies. Constituencies with more hearings require additional tables and resources.
This extensive deployment underscores the Election Commission's commitment to accurate voter lists. The warning to micro observers emphasizes the critical nature of their oversight role. Proper execution ensures electoral integrity and prevents errors in the final voter registration database.
