Nearly 3.5 crore voter records matched with 2002 data in Bengal ahead of SIR: Poll official
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Kolkata (PTI): As part of preparations to roll out SIR of electoral rolls in West Bengal, election officials have successfully mapped and matched the records of nearly 3.5 crore voters with the 2002 data, a senior officer said on Wednesday.
According to West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal, this mapping process eliminates the need for fresh documentation or re-verification for voters whose details already match existing records. The aim is to streamline the voter list and ensure accuracy ahead of upcoming elections.
"The data-matching work is in its final stages across most districts. Except for Darjeeling and Jalpaiguri, where recent natural calamities have delayed progress, almost all other districts have completed the mapping exercise," Agarwal told PTI.
Officials are expected to finish the remaining work by Thursday and upload the verified data to the portal, he said.
Agarwal said that mapping has been fully completed in seven districts so far.
Preliminary figures indicate that Alipurduar has recorded a 53 per cent match rate, Kalimpong 65 per cent, Malda 54 per cent, North Kolkata 55 per cent, Paschim Medinipur 62 per cent, Jhargram 51 per cent, and Purulia 61 per cent, an official said.
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Attacks on Christians contradict PM's message of harmony, visit to church: Gehlot
Jaipur (PTI): Former Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Thursday expressed concern over the reported attacks and disruptions in prayer gatherings of the Christian community in different parts of the country, saying such incidents were "worrying and condemnable".
In a post on X, Gehlot said that while the Prime Minister Narendra Modi was visiting a church and giving a message of peace and harmony, news of attacks on members of the Christian community from various regions reflected a serious contradiction.
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"Symbolic gestures would not be enough, and strict legal action was required against those spreading hatred," the senior Congress leader said.
He added that Indian culture has always upheld the spirit of "Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam", where every citizen has full freedom to practise their faith.
Gehlot urged the Centre and state governments to uphold the rule of law and ensure that no citizen is forced to celebrate their festival under fear.
