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Bengal SIR: Distribution of nearly 3 crore enumeration forms yet to be done

Kolkata, Nov 10 (IANS) Six days after the start of the first of the three-stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in West Bengal, the distribution of enumeration forms for less than three core is yet to be finished.

According to figures from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, enumeration forms have been distributed to around 4.90 crore voters till 4 p.m. on Sunday.

The total number of electors in West Bengal as per the electoral roll as on October 27, 2025, is 7,66,37,529. The CEO’s office insiders are confident of completing the entire process of enumeration form distribution within the next three to four days.

An insider from the CEO’s office said that the distribution of enumeration forms in West Bengal is much faster than in 11 other states and union territories, where the same process began on November 4.

However, he added, the faster pace of enumeration form distribution in the state has also created doubts on what percentage of the forms were actually delivered at the voters’ doorsteps and how many were distributed by the BLOs concerned from a particular place.

Already, ECI has started a crackdown on the BLOs and has slapped show-cause notices on eight BLOs who have reportedly adopted the shortcut process of distributing the enumeration forms from a particular place, violating the ECI-prescribed norm of making door-to-door visits for the distribution of the forms.

These eight BLOs, ECI sources said, are from Cooch Behar, North 24 Parganas, and South 24 Parganas districts.

The sources said the ECI has once again directed the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) to keep a close watch on the activities of the BLOs during the revision process, so that the latter perform their duties in accordance with set guidelines.

The ECI has again cautioned the BLOs against giving the responsibility of enumeration forms to a third party, be it a relative or a friend, or an acquaintance, and warned that such actions would be deemed as a severe breach of conduct.

The ECI had also registered FIRs against eight booth-level agents of a particular political party on charges of interfering in the enumeration form distribution process and even taking possession of the forms from the BLOs and themselves distributing them.

–IANS

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‘The sovereign will protect his subjects’: RSS chief hints about PM Modi’s resolve to avenge Pahalgam attack

New Delhi, April 26 (IANS) Favouring a strong response to the Pahalgam terror attack, RSS chief Mohan Bhagwat on Saturday, in a veiled manner, said non-violence is part of India’s ethos but teaching a lesson to a tormentor is also our duty.

Speaking at the release of the book ‘The Hindu Manifesto’ at a function organised at the Prime Minister’s Museum, Bhagwat said a sovereign is under the obligation to discipline the evil-minded and protect his subjects.

“The sovereign must and will perform his duty,” he said in what appeared to be an indirect indication of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s resolve to rise to the occasion and give Pakistan a befitting reply for the Pahalgam terror attack which left 26 dead on April 22.

Bhagwat also invoked scriptures and mythology to justify the slaying of evil by God, claiming that teaching a lesson to a repeat offender does not amount to violence but a religious duty.

The RSS chief, without mentioning Pakistan, said India has the tradition of not troubling its neighbours, but it is left with few options if someone commits a misdeed.

“Our culture has been to give a chance to an offender, including an enemy, to reform – even without punishing them. But a sovereign is left with no option if the other person refuses to change or give up misdeeds,” he said.

The Gita preaches non-violence, but at the time of Mahabharata Arjun was advised by Lord Krishna to take up arms and vanquish the evil and wrongdoers, he said, justifying the need for use of force under special circumstances.

Earlier, he had said said terrorists killed people in Pahalgam after asking about their religion, and Hindus would never do such a thing.

“We hope for a strong response,” he said at a public event here three days after 26 people died in the terrorist attack in Jammu and Kashmir.

The author of the book released by Bhagwat is Vishwa Hindu Congress founder Swami Vijnanananda.

This book presents a transformative approach towards prosperity, good governance and justice in modern times, which is based on the principles of Dharma, the eternal knowledge of ancient Hindu texts like Vedas, Ramayana, Mahabharata, Arthashastra and Shukranitisara.

–IANS

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Confusion over who will challenge Calcutta HC order cancelling 313 teaching jobs

Kolkata, Dec 19 (IANS) With a total cease-work by teachers attached to 360 Gorkhaland Territorial Administration (GTA)-run schools across the hill regions of Darjeeling, Kurseong and Kalimpong continuing on Friday over a Calcutta High Court order cancelling the jobs of 313 teachers, confusion has emerged over who would be made parties to the proposed petition challenging the order.

The petition is expected to be filed either before a higher bench of the Calcutta High Court or before the Supreme Court.

On one hand, the GTA intends to file the petition after making the state Education Department a party to the case. However, insiders in the Education Department say there are legal hurdles in the department being included as a party.

“Since the GTA is an autonomous body, it is not necessarily governed by the general recruitment rules applicable to teachers’ appointments in state-run schools, whether through the West Bengal School Service Commission or the West Bengal Board of Primary Education. Therefore, there are legal complications for the state government or the Education Department to be made a party in a petition challenging the single-judge bench order. However, we are seeking legal advice on the matter,” a senior official at the state secretariat said on condition of anonymity.

Despite this, the GTA has indicated it is prepared to proceed with the petition even if the state government does not join as a party.

“The GTA board initiated teacher recruitment keeping in mind that the right to education is a legitimate right of children in the hills. We will certainly challenge the single-judge bench order, and we are confident of getting justice,” said GTA spokesperson Shakti Prasad Sharma.

On Wednesday, a single-judge bench of Justice Biswajit Basu ordered the cancellation of the appointments of 313 teachers in GTA-run schools, citing recruitment irregularities and observing that the appointments were illegal.

The court also directed the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) of the West Bengal Police to continue its probe into the matter.

Justice Basu further ordered that the salaries of the 313 teachers be stopped immediately, questioning why the state exchequer should bear the financial burden of paying salaries to illegally appointed teachers.

The court also raised serious questions regarding the academic qualifications of the 313 teachers whose appointments were struck down.

–IANS

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