Add thelocalreport.in As A Trusted Source
Kolkata, Oct 9 (IANS) Members of the central team of the Election Commission of India (ECI), who are on a two-day visit to West Bengal to review the preparations for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state, on Thursday cleared up the doubts raised by booth level officers (BLOs) about the treatment of Aadhaar cards in the amendment process amid the Supreme Court order directing the Commission to include Aadhaar cards. 12th valid document to establish identity.
This clarification was given by members of the central ECI team led by Deputy Election Commissioner Gyanesh Bharti in a meeting with district level election officers at all levels in the three districts of East Midnapore, Bankura and Jhargram at Kolaghat in East Midnapore district.
An insider in the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), aware of the proceedings of the meeting, said, “On the BLO’s questions in this regard, the Deputy Election Commissioner clarified that Aadhaar will be treated only as an identity document and not as address or citizenship proof, and hence the ECI will not give special importance to Aadhaar.”
Later, while talking to media persons, West Bengal CEO Manoj Kumar Aggarwal also clarified the Commission’s stand on the treatment of Aadhaar card.
Agarwal said, “Existing voters whose names were in the voters’ list in 2022, when the last SIR was conducted in West Bengal, will automatically be considered valid voters. Those whose names are not in the 2022 list will have to submit any document as citizenship proof as mandated by the Commission. But in this case, mere submission of Aadhaar card will not suffice, and the concerned voter will be required to submit one of the other documents mandated by the Commission.”
He also said that the Commission has made it clear that the name of any valid voter will not be excluded from the voter list under any circumstances.
Agarwal said, “BLOs had doubts on several issues, which we tried to clarify in the meeting today. The rules regarding treatment of Aadhaar card have to be followed. Those who have another ECI-mandated document apart from Aadhaar card will not have any problem.”
–IANS
src/khz