The Election Commission (EC) on Monday appointed five senior IAS officers as Special Roll Observers (SROs) for different divisions of West Bengal to supervise activities related to the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise, officials said.
According to the announcement, Ministry of Defence Joint Secretary Kumar Ravi Kant Singh will serve as the SRO for the Presidency division, while Ministry of Home Affairs Joint Secretary Niraj Kumar Bansod has been assigned the Medinipur division.
Ministry of Information & Broadcasting Joint Secretary Krishna Kumar Nirala has been designated the SRO for the Burdwan division. Department of Economic Affairs Joint Secretary Alok Tiwari will oversee the Malda division as SRO, and Department of Rural Development Joint Secretary Pankaj Yadav has been appointed the SRO for the Jalpaiguri division.
Earlier, the EC had named retired IAS officer Subrata Gupta as a Special Roll Observer for the SIR and set up a 12-member team of IAS officers as Electoral Roll Observers to monitor key aspects of electoral roll preparation and support DEOs and EROs in implementing corrective measures.
"The appointment of SROs ensures enhanced scrutiny and transparency in the SIR process across all divisions. Their presence will strengthen monitoring and compliance with EC norms," an official at the CEO's office said.
"The observers will supervise electoral roll-related activities and ensure adherence to EC guidelines in their respective jurisdictions," he said.
The special intensive revision of electoral rolls began on November 4 with the distribution of enumeration forms, a process that will continue until December 11. The draft electoral rolls are scheduled to be published on December 16, with the final voters' list set for release on February 14, 2026.