Kolkata: The Election Commission of India (ECI) will not tolerate any sort of hooliganism aimed at disrupting the ongoing special intensive revision (SIR) in West Bengal, Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar reportedly communicated in his meeting with a Trinamool Congress delegation led by Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday at ECI’s headquarters in New Delhi.
“The CEC responded to the queries raised by the Chief Minister at the meeting and explained that the rule of law should prevail and anybody taking law into their own hands should be dealt with strictly as per the provisions of law and powers vested in the Commission,” an insider from the poll body informed.
In the meeting, the ECI insider added, the CEC also flagged the issue of Trinamool Congress legislators openly using abusive and threatening language against the Commission, especially against the CEC, and also threatening the electoral officials.
The CEC also reportedly narrated incidents of vandalism of the offices of the electoral registration officers (EROs), sub-divisional officers (SDOs), and block development officers (BDOs).
“The CEC also gave a clear message that no pressure, obstruction, or interference of any kind by anyone should be exerted on officers engaged in SIR exercise,” the Commission insider added.
During the meeting, CEC Gyanesh Kumar also reportedly raised some critical administrative issues related to the SIR exercise.
He specially stressed that the honorarium payable to booth-level officers (BLOs) be released promptly without any further delay, and also pointed out that as of now, only Rs 7,000 of the Rs 18,000 per BLO had been paid.
The CEC pointed out that although the Commission, on January 20, had requested the appointment of returning officers for all the 294 Assembly constituencies in West Bengal from the ranks of sub-divisional magistrates, sub-divisional officers and revenue divisional officers from general administration, till date, returning officers from those ranks have been appointed for only 67 Assembly constituencies. (IANS)
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