Kolkata, Jan 15 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) is concerned regarding the slow rate of verification of identification documents provided by “unmapped” voters who have participated in the current hearing sessions concerning the draft voters’ list in West Bengal.

Amid this situation, the Commission has directed the District Magistrates (DMs), who are also the District Electoral Officers (DEOs), to expedite the process of document authentication, considering that the deadline for publication of the final voters list is February 14 this year.

Currently, the hearing of the “unmapped voters”, that is, voters unable to establish links with the voters’ list 2002 either through “self-mapping” or through “progeny-mapping,” is being done.

According to the statistics available from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, of the 32 lakh unmapped voters, hearing has been completed for around 29 lakh voters till Wednesday evening.

However, out of the 29 lakh voters, whose hearing processes have been completed, the supporting identification documents furnished by them at the hearing session have been uploaded in the system for just around 11 lakh voters till the same period.

The third stage, which is the verification of the supporting identity documents by the DMs or DEOs concerned, has been completed for only around one lakh “unmapped” voters. So, in the backdrop of the situation, the ECI has directed the DMs or the DEOs to expedite the process of document verification, a source in the CEO’s office said.

The ECI, the source added, had also reminded the DMs/DEOs that no other supporting identity documents other than the 13 already specified by the ECI in the matter would be accepted as a valid identity-proof document.

“There have been several instances where voters have furnished documents other than the 13 specified by the ECI in the matter. In view of this, a fresh reminder in the matter has been given by the ECI to the DMs or the DEOs,” the source said.

The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in West Bengal is scheduled to conclude with the publication of the final voters’ list on February 14. Shortly after that, the ECI is expected to announce the polling dates for the Assembly elections.

–IANS

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