The Hindu : New Delhi News : EC observers again going to West Bengal

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Feb 01, 2006

New Delhi

New Delhi

EC observers again going to West Bengal

Special Correspondent

The same team will oversee rolls preparation

New Delhi: The Election Commission is once again deputing 19 observers to West Bengal to oversee the preparation of poll rolls and ensure their publication on February 15. The Assembly elections are to be held in May/June.

Commission sources said the same team, which went to the State early this month, would undertake the visit, one observer for each district, for one week from Wednesday to check the rolls, especially for deletion of the names of dead voters and those who had shifted residence.

During the earlier visit, the observers including Commission Adviser K.J. Rao found numerous anomalies in the list. Now they were being sent with a view to making a clean roll, removing about three lakh dead and bogus voters.

However, there could be changes in the assignment of districts. For instance Mr. Rao, who was sent to Nadia last time, would visit West Midnapore.

The clean-up drive is a sequel to complaints from Opposition parties including the Congress of large-scale inclusion of bogus names.

A few days ago the Commission informed the Chief Electoral Officer that severe disciplinary action would be taken for dereliction by officials vested with the revision of rolls. The warning came after the observers pointed out glaring irregularities in the exercise and said the officials did not follow guidelines.

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail