Overview
- The West Bengal CEO’s December 29 directive exempts voters aged 85 and above, the seriously ill and persons with disabilities from appearing at SIR hearings, with verification to be done at their residences on request.
- A senior EC official said strict action will be taken against any booth-level officer or supervisor who summons an exempt voter to a hearing.
- Reports to the CEO’s office indicated some elderly, sick, disabled electors and pregnant women were still being asked to appear despite the exemption.
- BLOs have been told to conduct door-to-door checks and to arrange in-home hearings for eligible electors during the last week of the hearing process.
- EROs and AEROs have been tasked with awareness drives, and requests to extend the exemption to voters aged 60 and above were declined due to logistical constraints.