Bengal CEO Seeks Punishment for EROs, AEROs Over SIR Lapses

March 4, 2026

Kolkata — The office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal has recommended disciplinary action against several Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) identified for alleged deliberate lapses and derelictions in conducting the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state, officials said.

The move comes amid mounting disagreement between the CEO’s office and state civil service officers over the handling of approximately 60 lakh cases marked “under adjudication” in the final electoral roll published on February 28 after the SIR process.

According to sources within the CEO’s office, several EROs and AEROs were found to have delayed uploading documents and finalizing decisions even after extended deadlines, slowing down the revision process and necessitating their referral to judicial officers for adjudication.

What the CEO’s Office Said

Officials in the West Bengal CEO’s office claimed that during the hearing sessions under the SIR process, certain EROs and AEROs kept the processing of identity documents pending even days after the extended deadline for hearings had passed. In some instances, this led to voters’ documents not being uploaded in time, effectively stalling adjudication decisions.

“These actions constitute deliberate delay in official duties,” a senior CEO office source said, adding that the matter had been flagged by special observers appointed to monitor the process.

Such derelictions, according to the officials, hampered the smooth completion of the SIR exercise, which is crucial ahead of the upcoming elections in the state.

Disciplinary Actions and Suspension Orders

In mid-February, the Election Commission of India (ECI) itself took a stern stand by suspending seven Assistant Electoral Registration Officers in West Bengal for “serious misconduct, dereliction of duty and misuse of statutory authority” during the SIR process, directing the state chief secretary to initiate disciplinary proceedings against them.

These suspensions were issued under powers granted to the ECI under Section 13CC of the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and marked one of the first direct interventions by the poll panel against officers working on the revision exercise.

The CEO’s office, working in coordination with the ECI, has recommended further punishments for additional EROs and AEROs identified for allegedly failing to meet procedural timelines or mis-handling document uploads, though precise numbers were not disclosed.

State Officers Push Back

The West Bengal Civil Service Executive Officers’ Association (WBCSEOA), representing many of the state-employed officers, strongly rejected claims that their members were negligent. They argued that EROs and AEROs had worked diligently conducting hearings, uploading documents and issuing reasoned orders as required — and that the high number of “under adjudication” cases was due to disagreements with micro-observers and roll observers appointed by the ECI.

The association called the CEO’s remarks “completely untrue and demeaning,” asserting that officers were following due procedures and that assigning blame for pending cases was unfair.

Ongoing SIR and Electoral Roll Challenges

The Special Intensive Revision, launched to update voters’ lists ahead of elections, has been in the spotlight due to the large number of electors marked as “under adjudication.” These cases are now being examined by judicial officers under the supervision of the Calcutta High Court, as per directions from the Supreme Court of India.

The CEO’s office has maintained that only genuinely delayed or mishandled cases are being recommended for punishment, stressing the importance of upholding the integrity and legal compliance of the voter roll revision process.