Logical? 2 days after SC order, voters continue to suffer for discrepancies not of their own making

Kolkata: Two days passed since the Supreme Court ordered the Election Commission of India (ECI) to ensure that the SIR process was carried out without causing additional stress to the public. However, even after 48 hours, confusion persisted over the acceptance of SC-prescribed documents, including the Madhyamik admit card.On Wednesday, TOI visited several hearing centres where most voters faced "harassment", including waiting for around two hours to reach the hearing table. The assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) carrying out the hearing process accepted Madhyamik or Class X board admit cards in cases where voters had no other document with date of birth. However, they refused to issue a receipt copy of documents to electors, citing that no circular had reached them from the EC about the matter.Amit Garai queued up at Sailendra Sircar Vidyalaya for a hearing for a simple spelling mistake in his father's name in the 2002 SIR roll. "It took very little time to complete the entire process, but the mistake was not made by us. Though I submitted all supporting documents, the officials took a photograph but did not give me any receipt, as told by the apex court," he said.At Baguiati PWD office, where hundreds of people turned up for a hearing, the EC officials accepted Class X admit cards under pressure from the electors. Amar Dolui, a Baguiati resident, said: "I was called for a hearing for a spelling error in my name. As I produced a xerox copy of my matriculation admit card, the officer refused to take it, asking for any other document. The same happened to some other people as well and, following a protest, they started taking the document. However, no receipt was given to me after submission of documents."The voters queuing up for a hearing at Gurudas College, Phoolbagan, raised questions about why they were not being issued receipts in consonance with the Supreme Court order. Alok Agarwal, who attended a hearing for logical discrepancies, rued: "I brought all my documents and showed them to the officers, who took photocopies. Since I had a Madhyamik certificate, they did not take the admit card. Even though I asked for a receipt copy after submitting documents, the AERO told me that he was yet to receive any circular from the EC."As voters raised an objection to not being issued receipt copies, the EC officials at Sonarpur Mahavidyalaya wrote "received documents" on the back of the hearing notice. Md Zairul, a voter, asked: "When the SC ordered that voters will have to be given receipt copies, why are they not following it?"Bablu Das (75), a voter from the Shyampukur area, said: "I have an issue of data mismatch; for that reason, I was called for the hearing. I submitted all the documents, but I was asked to give a photocopy of my Aadhaar card. No receipt was given to me or to any of the individuals standing in the queue at that time."AEROs and booth-level officers (BLOs) stated they did not yet receive any order to provide receipt copies to those attending SIR hearings. A BLO said: "We are following instructions given by the EC. Following the earlier EC instructions, I told some voters in the part where I was assigned to submit the Madhyamik certificate, but now they need not submit it again, and those appearing for hearings can submit their admit cards too. However, the EC did not provide any format for issuing receipts to voters."Biswaprem Dey was called for a hearing at Sailendra Sircar Vidyalaya around noon, but when it was 1.30 pm, he was still waiting outside the hearing centre. "I don't know the specific reason, as the hearing notice stated that mapping with my father is incorrect, but I could understand only after entering the hearing centre," he said.