Bengal SIR: Trinamool govt files FIR against 2 EROs & AEROs, sends compliance report to ECI

Kolkata, Feb 17 (IANS) The West Bengal government has completed the process of registering FIRs against two electoral registration officers (EROs) and two assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs), following the Election Commission of India (ECI)-set deadline for completing the process by 5:30 p.m. on Tuesday.

At the same time, the state government had also completed the process of FIR registration against a data-entry operator engaged in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal.

Two EROs and AEROs each have been found guilty by the ECI of involvement in the inclusion of fake voters in the electoral rolls during the ongoing SIR exercise in the state.

The data-entry operator had also been accused of the same charges.

"The office of the West Bengal Chief Secretary, Nandini Chakraborty, had also sent a report of compliance in the matter to the ECI's headquarters in New Delhi," sources from the State Secretariat Nabanna, said.

Earlier on February 14 night, the ECI had sent the final reminder to the office of the West Bengal Chief Secretary, setting 5:40 p.m. on Tuesday as the deadline for the completion of the process of registering FIRs against two EROs, two AEROs, and one data-entry operator.

In the final reminder, the ECI noted that despite repeated reminders to register FIRs against these four errant electoral officers, the state government had been lackadaisical in initiating action.

Therefore, the Commission decided to fix a deadline for registering FIRs against the four errant officers concerned.

Two of the four errant officers against whom FIRs have been directed to be registered are the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Baruipur East Assembly constituency in South 24 Parganas district, Debottam Dutta Chowdhury, and the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) of the same constituency, Tathagata Mandal.

The other two officers are the ERO of Moyna Assembly constituency in East Midnapore district, Biplob Sarkar, and the AERO of the same constituency, Sudipta Das.

In August last year, the ECI headquarters in New Delhi had directed the West Bengal government to suspend these four electoral officers and register FIRs against them.

However, the state government only partially implemented the directive.

While the four officers were suspended, FIRs were not registered against them.

In addition, one contractual data entry operator was also relieved of his duties.

In January this year, the ECI again directed the District Magistrate (DM) of South 24 Parganas, Arvind Kumar Mina, and DM of East Midnapore district, Purnendu Kumar Maji, to register FIRs against these four electoral officers.

Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had then criticised the ECI's directive at the time and accused the poll body of acting as a "bonded labour of the BJP".

The Chief Minister had also said that the Trinamool Congress-led West Bengal government would not take action against its own employees.

--IANS

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