Residents of Kolkata and the rest of West Bengal are still waiting for a key step in the upcoming election – the distribution of enumeration forms. The government missed the first deadline, leaving about 22 lakh (2.2 million) forms out of reach.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, almost 7.45 crore enumeration forms—roughly 97 percent of the 7.66 crore registered voters—had been handed out by 6 p.m. on Friday. The first round of the three‑stage Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process, aimed at boosting the quality of the electoral roll, began on November 4 and is expected to finish by March next year.
The original deadline was November 11, but at that time about 15 percent of voters still hadn’t received their forms. A second deadline of November 14 was set, yet it was also missed. The delay means the first phase of the SIR remains unfinished.
Why the delay? The CEO’s office reports that around 60 lakh voters are “non‑traceable.” That label is used when booth‑level officers (BLOs) cannot reach a voter directly. In those cases, notice boards on the main doors of their homes ask them to contact the local BLO by a specific date. Voters who do not respond are marked non‑traceable.
If a voter’s name (or that of a parent) is missing from the 2002 electoral roll, they’ll need to offer any of 11 documents approved by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to keep their name on the updated list.
Every voter in West Bengal wants to be counted this time, and officials are working hard to push the distribution of the remaining 22 lakh forms to its completion. The state’s electoral authorities stress the importance of getting the paperwork done quickly to ensure a smooth voting process in the next general election.
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