EC begins training booth-level officers for SIR in West Bengal
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Kolkata (PTI): The Election Commission on Saturday began a training programme for booth-level officers (BLOs) in West Bengal for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The training programme, being held in various districts, would be completed by November 3, with the SIR process scheduled to begin the following day, officials said.
In south Kolkata's Nazrul Mancha, training was underway for BLOs of Bhabanipur, Rashbehari, Ballygunge, Tollygunge, Kasba, Jadavpur, Metiabruz, Behala Purba and Behala Paschim assembly constituencies, they said.
The sessions are being held in batches, they added.
The EC has issued a 16-point guideline for BLOs as part of the SIR exercise, and introduced a new mobile app to streamline field operations, officials said.
During the training, BLOs are being provided with special kits and detailed instructions on the SIR process, they added.
From November 4 to December 4, BLOs will visit households to carry out voter verification and form-filling work.
A section of the booth-level officers, however, raised concern over the security aspect during the exercise.
"Yes, there are some concerns about security as we have to work at the grassroots level," said a BLO who participated in the training.
Another BLO, who also did not wish to be named, said, "Such duties always carry certain risks, as seen in past elections, but we must follow the rules and carry out our work without fear."
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'Someone must be held accountable': HC converts civil suit on Goa nightclub tragedy into PIL
Panaji (PTI): The Bombay High Court on Monday converted a civil suit against Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub into a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) saying "someone has to be held accountable" for the tragedy in which 25 people were killed.In a stern observation, Goa bench of the High Court of Justices Sarang Kotwal and Ashish Chavan said the local panchayat had "failed to take suo motu cognisance" of the club and had taken "no action despite complaints."
The division bench directed the Goa government to file a detailed reply on the permissions granted to the nightclub.
The High Court, while fixing January 8 as the next date of hearing, pointed out that commercial operations were continuing in the structure despite it having been served a demolition order.
The original petition was filed after the December 6 tragedy by Pradeep Ghadi Amonkar and Sunil Divkar, the owners of the land on which the nightclub was operating.
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Advocate Rohit Bras de Sa, the lawyer representing the petitioner, was made amicus curiae in the matter and has been asked to file a detailed affidavit in the matter.
In their petition, Amonkar and Divkar highlighted "the alarming pattern of statutory violations that have remained inadequately addressed despite multiple complaints, inspections, show-cause notices, and even a demolition order".
They contended that these violations posed "immediate threats to public safety, ecological integrity, and the rule of law in the state of Goa."
Investigations by multiple agencies into the nightclub fire have revealed various irregularities, including lack of permissions to operate the nightclub.
The Goa police arrested five managers and staff members of the club, while co-owners Gaurav Luthra and Saurabh Luthra have been detained in Thailand after they fled the country.
