EC begins Bengal Poll Preparation know how SIR being done

Election Commission begins poll preparation

• The Election Commission is going to train poll officers in West Bengal on Tuesday, as part of preparations for special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, according to a senior official.
• Assembly polls are scheduled for next year in West Bengal.
• "State CEO Manoj Agarwal, along with Additional CEOs Dibyendu Das and Arindam Neogi, are expected to lead Tuesday’s training session. The aim is to ensure that the trainers are well-equipped to guide booth-level officers (BLOs) on how to carry out the voter list revision process smoothly and accurately," he told PTI.

How poll officers will be trained

• Assistant district magistrates (ADMs) and electoral registration officers (EROs) from all over the state will be trained in the near future, the official said.
• "These officials will then train the BLOs, who are responsible for direct voter outreach at the grassroots level," he said.
• After the ADM and ERO training is complete, the BLOs will get detailed instructions on helping voters in filling requisite forms during the SIR drive, he said.
• "The BLOs are expected to visit households across the state to verify details and ensure proper documentation is in place. This is part of the pre-SIR groundwork,” the official said.
• Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti will come to Kolkata later this week to review preparations and oversee the rollout of the revision exercise, he said.

What happened in the meeting with ADMs

• During a meeting with ADMs on Monday, officials were instructed to start voter mapping activities at the district level.
• Poll officials were asked to compare the 2002 voter list – the last time SIR was conducted in West Bengal – with the latest electoral roll published in January 2025.
• "By cross-verifying voters who were listed in 2002, we hope to reduce hassles, particularly for elderly voters, who may otherwise face difficulty proving their eligibility,” the official said.

Editor’s Note

• As poll preparations start in West Bengal, the smooth rollout of the special intensive revision is important. With the ADMs and EROs likely to get trained this month, there needs to be no stone unturned. Cross-verification of voters who were listed in 2002 will reduce hassles, particularly for elderly voters, who may face difficulty proving their eligibility. Poll officers need to be ready for all kinds of possibilities when the voting starts, hence the training.