A fresh controversy erupted on Thursday morning when hundreds of voter identity cards were found scattered near the storeroom of the block development officer’s (BDO) office premises in the Raiganj block of Jalpaiguri.

The discovery created widespread commotion among locals and officials alike.

Sources said the voter ID cards were strewn in the jungle area behind the BDO office. Some locals who regularly pass through the area were the first to notice the cards on the ground. They immediately drew the authorities’ attention.

The office’s cleaning staff denied any knowledge of the cards or how they ended
up there.

“It is surprising that so many voter ID cards ended up being thrown so close to a government office. Were those discarded by mistake, or does the incident point to something more serious? Perhaps it is administrative negligence or an attempt to tamper with official records,” said a BJP leader who did not want to be named.

Locals of the area have also demanded a thorough investigation to uncover the truth behind the matter.

Sources in the BDO office said their preliminary inquiry indicates the voter cards are not recent, but five to six years old.

“It seems these IDs have been replaced with new cards and distributed to the respective voters during earlier revision drives,” said a source.

Saurav Kanti Mondal, the joint BDO, said they have learned that a snake had entered the office storeroom, prompting the staff to move old files and papers to
another location.

“It seems that some old voter cards may have accidentally fallen and scattered in the process,” he said.