Exercising its authority under Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Commission ordered the suspension of the officials and directed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to promptly initiate disciplinary proceedings against them.
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The Election Commission of India (ECI) has suspended seven officials in West Bengal with immediate effect, citing serious misconduct, dereliction of duty, and misuse of statutory powers during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
Exercising its authority under Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Commission ordered the suspension of the officials and directed the Chief Secretary of West Bengal to promptly initiate disciplinary proceedings against them.
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In a statement issued on Monday, the ECI said, “The action has been taken in view of serious lapses observed in the discharge of statutory responsibilities related to the revision of electoral rolls. Such misconduct undermines the integrity of the electoral process and will not be tolerated.”
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The poll body further instructed that disciplinary proceedings be commenced immediately by the respective cadre-controlling authorities and that it be kept informed of the progress made in the matter.
A senior official familiar with the development said the Commission has conveyed a strong message about accountability. “The Commission has made it clear that accountability in election-related duties is paramount. Any misuse of statutory powers will invite strict action,” the official said.
The suspended officials are:
Sefaur Rahaman, Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and Assistant Director, Agriculture Department, 56-Samserganj Assembly Constituency in Murshidabad district.
Nitish Das, Revenue Officer, Farakka and AERO for 55-Farakka Assembly Constituency.
Dalia Ray Choudhury, Women Development Officer, Maynaguri Development Block and AERO for 16-Maynaguri Assembly Constituency.
Sk. Murshid Alam, Assistant Development Administrator (ADA), Suti Block and AERO for 57-Suti Assembly Constituency.
Satyajit Das, Joint Block Development Officer (Jt BDO) and AERO for 139-Canning Purbo Assembly Constituency.
Joydeep Kundu, Field Election Officer (FEO) and AERO for 139-Canning Purbo Assembly Constituency.
Debashis Biswas, Joint Block Development Officer and AERO for 229-Debra Assembly Constituency.
Importance of AEROs in Electoral Integrity
Assistant Electoral Registration Officers are entrusted with maintaining and revising electoral rolls, including the addition, deletion and correction of voter details during revision exercises such as the SIR. Ensuring the accuracy and transparency of electoral rolls is widely regarded as fundamental to conducting free and fair elections.
Under Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Commission has supervisory control over officers engaged in election-related duties and is empowered to recommend or direct disciplinary action in cases of negligence or misconduct.
The latest action signals the Commission’s continued emphasis on strict adherence to statutory responsibilities in the management of electoral rolls.
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