The Election Commission of India has clarified that a permanent resident certificate is an acceptable document for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list, but only if it is issued by specified authorities.
In a letter sent on Saturday to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, the commission said that only certificates issued by the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Officer, and, in the case of Kolkata, the Collector will be treated as valid for the SIR process.
The commission noted that permanent resident certificates can be issued by various authorities, including local public representatives and different government offices.
However, it has now clearly defined which certificates will be accepted for SIR-related work. It also stated that all such certificates must be prepared in accordance with the West Bengal government rules framed in 1999.
The letter directed the CEO’s office to ensure strict compliance with these instructions and to inform all officers engaged in SIR duties accordingly.
The reason behind issuing this clarification is not yet known. Officials pointed out that apart from the authorities mentioned by the commission, certificates are often issued by local representatives or block development offices.
It is believed that the clarification was issued to remove confusion over which certificates should be considered valid during the SIR exercise.
As per the earlier schedule, Saturday was the last day for hearings under the SIR process in the state.
However, reports till Friday suggested that hearings had not been completed in all areas. This has raised questions about a possible extension of the deadline.
Until the time of filing this report, the commission had not announced any final decision on the matter.