Chief Election Officer (CEO) of the Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal, Ariz Aftab, today held a meeting with district magistrates and officials concerned of three districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong and North Dinajpur, with a view to monitoring the summary revision of electoral rolls, which began on 9 November and will continue till 8 December.
Talking to reporters after the end of the meeting in Siliguri, Mr Aftab said: “As the special summary revision is going on, we are monitoring various parameters so that we can publish the final electoral roll in January 2023.”
According to sources, the CEO has instructed officials to work seriously so that the final publication of the voters’ list is flawless for the upcoming panchayat elections in 2023 in the state.
Election officials said they have received around 20,000 applications for inclusion and revision of their names in Darjeeling district.
At present, there are 12.5 lakh voters in Darjeeling district. According to a senior administrative official, new voters, who turned 18 years on 1 January 2023, can also apply for inclusion of their names in the voters’ list. Officials said they plan to inform colleges to encourage students, who are now 18 years old, to apply for inclusion of their names.