Kolkata Voters Queue Anxiously on Eve of Final Electoral Roll Hearing Deadline
The eve of the concluding day for the Summary Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls witnessed significant crowds of concerned electors lining up at designated hearing centers across Kolkata. Their primary objective was to safeguard their fundamental voting rights by addressing discrepancies in the voter lists.
Extended Deadline and Final Rush
While the SIR hearing process has officially concluded at most centers throughout the city, it remains ongoing at a select few locations, including the prominent Survey Building in Alipore. The final hearings are scheduled to wrap up on Saturday, following an extension granted by the Election Commission. This extension came after a directive from the Supreme Court, making this the ultimate opportunity for individuals summoned to resolve issues and retain their names on the voter rolls.
Anticipating a last-day rush, numerous electors strategically chose to attend their hearings on Friday. By the afternoon, over 100 individuals were observed standing in a queue at the Survey Building alone, waiting to sort out logical discrepancies in their voter registration details.
Personal Stories from the Ground
The hearings have drawn citizens with various personal circumstances. Kalighat resident Bharati Mukherjee attended the session on behalf of her son-in-law, Dipak Das, who is currently out of station. "The notice was issued against him for a name mismatch. As he is not in the city, I attended the hearing on his behalf," explained Mukherjee.
Similarly, Kashmira Begum, an elector from the Tollygunge constituency, missed her initial hearing last month due to being out of town. "Apprehending more crowd on the last day, I managed time and appeared for the hearing today. My name was wrongly mentioned as Mumtaz in the electoral roll," she stated, highlighting the critical nature of these corrections.
Administrative Status and Ongoing Issues
Pending hearings have been taking place over the past week, as several voters were unable to appear on the dates originally mentioned in their official notices. An Election Commission official provided an update on the geographical progress: "It's over in north Kolkata, while it is still on across a few centers in south Kolkata."
Meanwhile, a separate controversy continues to simmer. The distribution of certain forms, which Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal has termed "unauthorised," reportedly persisted, with instances noted in areas like Behala West as recently as Friday. This adds a layer of administrative complexity to the already tense final phase of the electoral roll revision process.
