Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kolkata: The Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal will introduce a two-tier daily electoral administration system in the state immediately after the issuance of the notification of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state.
After the release of the notification, an officer of the rank of Additional CEO will hold daily interactions with the District Magistrates, who are also District Election Officers, and review the daily progress in the vetting exercise in the respective districts.
Similarly, some officers of the rank of Joint CEO will interact with the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) while reviewing the progress of the vetting exercise in the areas under the jurisdiction of EROs.
An insider in the CEO’s office said this two-tier electoral administration is aimed at bridging any communication gap between the CEO’s office and the district-level electoral administration system.
The entire system will run under the direct supervision of the CEO.
It has also been decided that the CEO office will organize matters with all political parties immediately after the issue of SIR notification and a two-tier system will be followed in this regard also.
On one hand, the CEO himself will organize a state level meeting with all the political parties centrally at the CEO office in Kolkata. On the other hand, District Magistrate, District Election Officer will also chair the meeting along with the district leadership of all the parties in the respective districts.
While in the state-level meeting, the CEO will note the general viewpoint, demands and grievances of the political parties on the SIR, the District Election Officer will look into the district-specific issues related to the revision exercise.
Already, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to adopt several measures to ensure that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) remain free from pressure or influence from political parties or state administration once the vetting process begins.
These steps include complete administrative control of the office of the CEO over BLOs who are State Government employees, so that they are not transferred or forced to engage in any other administrative duty by the State Administration during the SIR exercise.
The CEO office has been directed by the ECI to assure the BLOs that their safety will be given top priority and any attempt at violation or intimidation will be dealt with strictly.
BLOs are being advised to handle pressure tactfully and avoid confrontation, but immediately report such incidents directly to the CEO office, who will consult ECI Headquarters in New Delhi for appropriate action.
–IANS