Follow SC directions on SIR without neglecting admin work: Mamata govt to DMs

Amid a continuing standoff between the West Bengal government and the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Mamata Banerjee-led government has issued a fresh set of directions to district officials tasked with carrying out the exercise.

The instructions were conveyed during a meeting chaired by chief secretary Nandini Chakraborty late on Monday afternoon. Chief minister Mamata Banerjee made a brief but pointed appearance at the meeting, joining the discussion for around 10 to 15 minutes, according to an official present.

District magistrates, who also serve as district electoral officers (DEOs), were told to strictly follow the recent directions issued by the Supreme Court on the conduct of the SIR, rather than “mechanically implementing any arbitrary instructions” from the Election Commission’s higher authorities in New Delhi, the attendee said.

On Monday, the apex court issued a series of guidelines to the ECI, emphasising that the SIR process in West Bengal — particularly the verification of voters flagged under the “logical discrepancies” category — must be carried out in a transparent manner and without causing unnecessary hardship to citizens.

The chief minister also cautioned district officials against allowing the revision exercise to overshadow their core administrative responsibilities. DMs were specifically asked to ensure that routine governance and the implementation of the state government’s welfare schemes do not suffer due to an excessive focus on electoral roll verification.

According to the attendee, Banerjee also delivered a “subtle reminder” to the officers that once the assembly elections, scheduled for later this year, are concluded, administrative control over district magistrates will continue to rest with the state government, not the Election Commission.

The chief minister reportedly assured the district officials that the state government would stand firmly behind them if they face what she described as “undue pressure” from the commission during the course of the SIR exercise.

The directions underscore the deepening friction between the state government and the ECI, even as the Supreme Court seeks to set guardrails on the conduct of the sensitive voter verification process in West Bengal.

With IANS inputs