Bengal SIR: Hearings to begin for unmapped and discrepant voters

Kolkata, Dec 18,2025: The process of scrutiny of electoral rolls in West Bengal is set to enter a crucial phase as Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) begin issuing hearing notices to voters from Thursday. The hearings will commence after a gap of seven days and will initially focus on nearly 32 lakh “unmapped” voters whose names could not be matched with records from the 2002 Special Intensive Revision (SIR) but have nonetheless appeared in the recently published draft electoral rolls.
There are 294 EROs across the state, one for each Assembly constituency, who will oversee the process of issuing notices and conducting hearings.
Officials clarified that inclusion of a name in the draft electoral roll should not be construed as final confirmation of eligibility. “This makes it clear that inclusion of a name in the draft list does not mean that an elector will not be called for a hearing,” an official from the office of the Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) said.
Each hearing notice will be prepared in duplicate. One copy will be handed over to the elector concerned, while the second copy will be retained by the respective Booth Level Officer (BLO) after it is duly signed by the voter as an acknowledgement of receipt. Hearings will be conducted at designated government offices, including those of the District Electoral Officer (DEO), Sub-Divisional Officer (SDO) or Block Development Officer (BDO), depending on the administrative arrangement in a particular area.
According to sources, the state CEO has proposed to the Election Commission that voters above the age of 85 years be given the option of hearings at their residences, keeping in view their age and mobility constraints. The CEO’s office has also suggested that the concerned BLOs be allowed to remain present during the hearings to facilitate verification and assist elderly or vulnerable voters through the process.
Beyond the unmapped voters, the verification exercise will also cover a much larger group. There are over 1.69 crore electors whose records contain what officials describe as “logical discrepancies.” These discrepancies could include inconsistencies in age, address, or other particulars. Election Commission officials indicated that a reasonable number of such voters would also be called for hearings as part of the screening process.
During the hearing, electors will be required to submit documents to establish that they are Indian citizens and eligible voters. The Election Commission has specified 11 categories of documents that will be accepted for verification. These include identity cards of state or central government employees or pensioners; documents issued by post offices, banks, the Life Insurance Corporation or local authorities before 1987; birth certificates; passports; Madhyamik or other educational qualification certificates; residential certificates issued by state government organisations; forest rights certificates; caste certificates; the National Register of Citizens (applicable only in Assam); family registers maintained by local administrations; and land or house allotment certificates issued by the government.
The notice, hearing and verification phase will continue until February 7, 2026. The final electoral rolls, after incorporating the outcomes of the hearings and necessary corrections, are scheduled to be published on February 14, marking the culmination of the Special Intensive Revision process in the state.