SIR Hearing: Voter Hearing Starts Today in the State Document Verification for 31 Lakh People Know Required Papers

SIR Hearing: A crucial phase in the revision of the voter list in West Bengal has commenced from today, Saturday. As per the instructions of the Election Commission, the hearing phase for voters is starting simultaneously across all 294 assembly constituencies in the state. This special hearing is primarily organized for those voters whose data could not be ‘mapped’ or linked with the 2002 voter list. According to Commission sources, approximately 31 lakh 68 thousand 424 voters have been called for this first phase of hearings. Hearing notices have already been delivered to the concerned voters.

Hearing Infrastructure and Rules

To ensure this massive exercise is conducted smoothly, the Commission has made special arrangements in every assembly constituency. Two or more hearing centers have been set up in each constituency, with 11 tables placed in each. One Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) and 10 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) will be present in every assembly constituency, entrusted with the main responsibility of the hearings. Additionally, 11 Micro Observers will be deployed to keep a strict vigil on the entire process.

The Commission has made it clear that no outsider will be allowed to enter the hearing room. Only Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and, with permission, BLO Supervisors can be present. A target has been set to complete the hearing of 100 to 150 voters per table daily. Most importantly, a photograph of every voter will be taken during the hearing process and sent directly to the Commission.

Documents Required for Hearing

The Commission has published a list of 13 documents for voters to prove their validity. Voters attending the hearing must present any one of these documents. However, for persons on the ‘suspicious’ or ‘no-mapping’ list, multiple documents may be requested. The list of acceptable documents includes:

• Identity card of Central or State Government employment or pension documents.
• Any document issued by Bank, Post Office, LIC, or local administration before July 1, 1987.
• Birth Certificate.
• Passport.
• Educational certificate of Madhyamik (Secondary) or higher level.
• Residence certificate issued by the competent authority of the State Government.
• Forest Right Certificate.
• Caste Certificate.
• National Register of Citizens (NRC) document (if available).
• Family Register issued by local administration.
• Land or House Deed.

Furthermore, the Commission has informed that one can apply to become a voter by showing a CAA certificate as well. In that case, Form-6 needs to be filled out.

Verification Process for Other Voters

This is the second step of the Special and Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list. After the publication of the draft list in the first phase, the scrutiny process is now underway. Apart from the over 31 lakh ‘unmapped’ voters, there are about 1 crore 36 lakh other voters in the state whose enumeration form data has raised doubts for the Commission. However, they are not being called for hearings immediately. First, the BLOs of the respective areas will visit and verify that information. If the BLO is satisfied with the information, they will recommend including the name in the final list. Otherwise, they may also recommend a hearing for that voter to the Commission.

This process is being conducted with extreme caution across the state to ensure that no genuine voter’s name is deleted from the list while simultaneously identifying fake voters.