Mamata writes to CEC, alleges SIR 'unplanned', 'coercive'
Kolkata (PTI): West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Thursday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in the state is being run in an “unplanned and coercive” manner, putting citizens and officials at risk.
She also claimed that the SIR exercise has reached an "alarming" and "dangerous" stage.
Banerjee said she had “time and again” flagged her concerns over the ongoing SIR process, and told the CEC that she is now “compelled to write” because the situation has “deeply deteriorated”.
The chief minister alleged that the voters' list revision exercise is being “forced upon” people "without basic preparedness or adequate planning".
“The manner in which this exercise is being forced upon officials and citizens is not only unplanned and chaotic, but also dangerous. The absence of even basic preparedness, adequate planning or clear communication has crippled the process from day one,” the chief minister wrote.
Pointing to "critical gaps" in training, lack of clarity on mandatory documentation, and the "near-impossibility" of BLOs meeting voters during their livelihood hours, Banerjee said the entire SIR exercise has become “structurally unsound”.
The CM said the “human cost of SIR mismanagement is now unbearable”, citing the death of an anganwadi worker serving as a booth-level officer in Mal, Jalpaiguri.
She died by suicide, “reportedly under crushing SIR-related pressure”.
“Several others have lost their lives since this process began,” she said.
"Under these circumstances, I strongly urge and expect immediate corrective action," Banerjee added.
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Rupee falls 9 paise to all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade
Mumbai (PTI): Rupee depreciated 9 paise to an all-time low of 90.58 against US dollar in early trade on Monday, weighed down by uncertainty over an India-US trade deal and persistent foreign fund outflows.
Forex traders said rupee is trading with a negative bias as investors are in wait and watch mode and awaiting cues from the India-US trade deal front.
At the interbank foreign exchange market, the rupee opened at 90.53 against the US dollar, then fell further to an all-time intraday low of 90.58 against the greenback, registering a fall of 9 paise over its previous close.
On Friday, the rupee had slipped 17 paise to close at an all-time low of 90.49 against the American currency.
Meanwhile, the dollar index, which gauges the greenback's strength against a basket of six currencies, was trading 0.05 per cent lower at 98.35.
Brent crude, the global oil benchmark, was trading higher by 0.52 per cent at USD 61.44 per barrel in futures trade.
On the domestic equity market front, the 30-share benchmark index Sensex was trading 298.86 points lower at 84,968.80, while the Nifty was down 121.40 points at 25,925.55.
Foreign Institutional Investors sold equities worth Rs 1,114.22 crore on Friday, according to exchange data.
"FPIs continue to be in selling mode in equity and debt while RBI has been selling dollars to fund their long positions," said Anil Kumar Bhansali, Head of Treasury and Executive Director Finrex Treasury Advisors LLP.
