Kolkata: The Election Commission of India on Wednesday held a virtual meeting with district election officers and district magistrates across West Bengal to review the status of election preparedness. The Commission instructed all districts to complete necessary preparations, including the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, by October 15.
The meeting was attended by most district officials, though officers from several districts in North Bengal could not participate due to ongoing relief and rehabilitation work following recent adverse weather conditions. The Commission reviewed district-wise updates and assessed the current stage of readiness.
During the meeting, the Election Commission made it clear that once the notification for the SIR is issued, there should be no delay or negligence in carrying out the process. Officials were told that within four to five days of issuing the SIR notification, at least 30 percent of the printing of voter forms should be completed in each district.
Unlike Bihar, where the forms were printed centrally and then distributed, West Bengal has been instructed to print voter forms separately in every district. The Commission also asked district magistrates to confirm whether adequate infrastructure is available locally for large-scale printing.
According to the instructions, soft copies of voter forms for each district will be sent from Delhi to the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs). After uploading them to the state portal, the forms will be printed, handed over to booth-level officers (BLOs), and distributed door-to-door by BLO staff. The state currently has around 7.65 crore registered voters. Two copies of each form will be printed—one to be handed to the voter and another to be collected by the BLO.
The Commission also warned officials against any negligence. It referred to complaints of irregularities in Bihar during a similar process and stated that strict action would be taken in West Bengal if such lapses are found.
Due to the exceptional situation in North Bengal, the Election Commission exempted its district officers from Wednesday’s meeting. However, a separate meeting with officials from the northern districts is expected later this month to review their progress once the situation stabilizes.