NEW DELHI: As the second phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal has begun, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to set up 160 special decentralised hearing centres in remote areas of certain districts of the state for marginalised communities residing in such pockets.
The 12 districts where such 160 centres would be set up include Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, Purulia, West Midnapore, Bankura, Nadia, West Burdwan, Howrah, and North 24 Parganas, officials said, adding that provided if more is required, the Commission may consider a couple of such centres in the coastal belts of the South 24 Parganas district.
A senior official said, "Recently, the District Magistrates, also the District Electoral Officers, of these districts had sent a recommendation to the Commission through the CEO’s office for setting up such centres. Considering the legitimacy of the requirement, the Commission had finally given go-ahead for the proposal."
The official said, since the beginning of the SIR in West Bengal, the ECI had been particularly sensitive that the people from marginalised sections are not denied their voting rights because of protocol loops and hence, time-to-time special relaxations were made for them, with the decision for setting up centres being the latest relaxation.
According to officials, these centres would be temporary hearing camps for a couple of days as per requirements, and people can come there. Electoral officers will personally reach and conduct hearings for the marginalised people staying there, they added.
Last week, ECI had announced that voters from three "aboriginal tribes" or "primitive tribes" will be automatically enlisted in the final voters’ list of West Bengal and voters from these three communities will not be required to furnish any documents for that purpose. The tribal communities are Birhor, Toto and Sabar.
Earlier, the ECI had also announced special relaxations for sex workers, people from transgender or other communities and declared monks in connection with the identity proof-related formalities to be followed at the ongoing hearing sessions on the claims and objections on the draft voters’ list in West Bengal.
