The West Bengal government has suspended four state officials over alleged irregularities in the voter list but has requested additional time from the Election Commission of India (ECI) before lodging FIRs, raising questions about full compliance with poll panel directives.
Sources at Nabanna, the state secretariat, said the suspended officials will face a departmental inquiry. The government’s report to the Chief Election Commissioner in Delhi acknowledged the suspensions but requested more time before initiating criminal proceedings.
The suspension orders, issued on August 20 under Section 7(1)(b)(a) of the West Bengal Services (Classification, Control & Appeal) Rules, 1971, allow the officers to receive subsistence allowances. They must report to their controlling authority and cannot leave headquarters without permission.
Despite the action, no FIRs have yet been filed, meaning the state has only partially implemented the ECI’s recommendations. Officials said the matter will be placed before the EC’s full bench at its next meeting in Delhi, likely next week, after no meeting was scheduled on Friday.
The Election Commission had recommended the suspension of the four officers on August 5 for alleged voter list tampering and also directed that criminal cases be filed. Initially, the state removed only an Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and a data entry operator from poll duties, resisting full compliance.
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Chief Secretary Manoj Pant was summoned to Delhi on August 13, with the ECI giving the state seven days to act. The suspension order issued on August 20 is viewed as a reluctant concession following weeks of tension between Nabanna and the poll panel.
Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had earlier criticised the ECI’s directives at a public meeting in Jhargram, stating, “The elections are still eight months away and you are showing power. Are you working at the behest of Amit Shah? There is no need to fear. It is our responsibility to protect you. They will not be able to do anything.”
BJP spokesperson Amit Malviya targeted the ruling TMC over the issue, saying, “Mamata Banerjee publicly challenged the Election Commission, but in the end the state government was forced to give in. The West Bengal government, in partial compliance with the Election Commission's orders, has suspended two EROs, two AEROs and a data entry operator on charges of tampering with the voter list. This time, an FIR will also have to be filed as per the Commission's orders. She is not above the law and West Bengal is not outside the central law. She cannot protect lawbreakers on her own orders.”
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