SIR in Bengal: ECI to set up 160 'special decentralised hearing centres' for marginalised communities

Kolkata, Jan 4 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to set up 160 special decentralised hearing centres in certain districts of West Bengal for marginalised communities residing in remote pockets.  

The 12 districts where such 160 centres would be set up include Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, Purulia, West Midnapore, Bankura, Nadia, West Burdwan, Howrah, and North 24 Parganas, insiders from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal.

Depending on the requirement, a couple of such centres might also be set up in the coastal belts of the South 24 Parganas district.

"Recently, the District Magistrates, also the District Electoral Officers, of these districts had sent a recommendation to the Commission through the CEO's office for setting up such centres in the respective districts. Considering the legitimacy of the requirement, the Commission had finally given go-ahead for the proposal," sources in the CEO's office said.

He also said that since the beginning of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal, the Commission had been specially sensitive that the people from marginalised backgrounds are not denied their voting rights because of protocol loops, and hence, time-to-time special relaxations were made for them, with the decision for setting up centres being the latest relaxation.

These centres will be temporary hearing camps set up in remote areas for a day or a few days, where electoral officers will personally reach and conduct hearings for the marginalised people staying there.

Last week, ECI announced that voters from three "aboriginal tribes" or "primitive tribes" will be automatically enlisted in the final voters' list of West Bengal, and voters from these three communities will not be required to furnish any documents for that purpose. These three "aboriginal tribes" are Birhor, Toto, and Sabar.

Earlier to that, the ECI had announced special relaxations for sex workers, people from transgender or other communities, and declared monks in connection with the identity proof-related formalities to be followed at the ongoing hearing sessions on the claims and objections on the draft voters' list in West Bengal.

The Commission had decided not to be stringent about the authenticity of the supporting identity documents required for establishing their voting rights, as in the cases of regular categories of voters.

--IANS

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