Identity proof chaos in Bengal SIR: CEO flags irregular uploads, deadline extension on the cards

The scrutiny of identity documents submitted during hearings on West Bengal’s draft voter list may extend beyond the February 21 deadline due to a flood of fake and unlisted papers uploaded into the system.

Kolkata: The current deadline of February 21 for completing the ongoing scrutiny of the identity documents submitted during the hearing sessions on the draft voters list in West Bengal may be extended by two to three days, apprehends the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO).

Insiders from the CEO’s office stated that there are two main reasons for the possibility of extending the deadline for completing the scrutiny process.

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The main reason is the large volume of “fake” and “unlisted” documents that have been uploaded to the system as identity proof.

“Besides uploading of documents other than the 13 listed by the Election Commission of India as authentic identity proof documents, there had been instances of newspaper cuttings, blank papers, and totally illegible documents being uploaded in the system. So filtering out these fake and unlisted documents is really a herculean task, and in view of this, the possibility of the extension of the deadline for completion of the scrutiny process has surfaced,” said a CEO’s office insider.

At the same time, he added, scrutiny of the documents already uploaded is underway, along with the uploading of documents submitted at the last lap of the hearing session, which was concluded on February 14.

“Had the uploading of documents been concluded on February 14 along with the hearing session, then currently the electoral officers could have concentrated only on the scrutiny of documents, and in that case the possibilities of deadline extension would not have surfaced,” said the CEO’s office insider.

Already, the ECI has identified five districts in the state where the instances of uploading of “unlisted” documents have been abnormally high so far. The five districts are Cooch Behar, Malda, Murshidabad, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas. All five districts have international borders with Bangladesh, with South 24 Parganas mainly having coastal borders.

Apart from these five states, where instances of uploading of “unlisted” documents are abnormally high, similar irregularities have been marginally high in East Burdwan and West Burdwan districts.

As per the present schedule, the final voters’ list in West Bengal is to be published on February 28. On March 1, a full bench of the ECI will be on a two-day visit to West Bengal to take a stock of the post-SIR scenario. Shortly after that, the ECI will announce the polling dates for the Assembly election in the state.