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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Minister Patil chairs industry meetings to chart growth for key sectors in Karnataka
Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Minister M B Patil on Tuesday chaired meetings with industry representatives from the aerospace and defence, machine tools, auto/EV, and green energy sectors to discuss sector growth and government support measures.
The meetings were attended by leading industrialists and their representatives, with some participating virtually.
Speaking on the occasion, the minister for Large and Medium Industries said Karnataka is at the forefront of the country’s aerospace and defence sectors.
He noted that Suzuki and Toyota plan to launch aerial taxi services in Japan by 2028, with Bengaluru-based Sasmos supplying electrical equipment for the project.
Industrialists suggested introducing similar “fly-taxi” services in Karnataka through an appropriate policy, which Patil said would be examined seriously.
The minister highlighted the need to establish testing centres and Common Facility Centres for the aerospace and defence industries and assured that these facilities would be provided.
Suggestions were also made to prepare a comprehensive roadmap for sector growth.
Karnataka has urged the Central Government to approve Defence Corridor projects in the Bengaluru North–Kolar–Chikkaballapur and Dharawada–Vijayapura–Belagavi regions.
Industrialists also suggested a corridor between Bengaluru and Mysuru, Patil said.
He said Karnataka aims to become a hub for defence electronics manufacturing, with plans to establish a 200-acre Defence Electronics Park and a 100-acre Avionics and Sensor Park.
These projects will be implemented once the Special Investment Region is operational, and land availability will not be an issue.
On the machine tools sector, Patil said the industry has recorded an annual turnover of Rs 36,500 crore and is witnessing steady growth.
Large-scale exhibitions have increased demand, and the state must strengthen its capabilities to develop control systems for heavy machinery. One testing unit is already operational in Bengaluru, with another planned for Tumakuru. Expansion of vocational training institutes in industrial areas is also underway.
In the Auto and EV sector, Vision Group members highlighted the need for a network of dry ports and more EV charging stations across the state.
Patil noted that the Tata Group is manufacturing EV buses in Dharawada for nationwide supply. Plans for mini excavator production and export facilitation were also discussed, along with the establishment of a testing facility for two-wheeler EVs.
For the Green Energy sector, the group emphasised the need for a suitable policy on battery-based energy storage and the establishment of data centres.
Patil assured that the government will seriously consider all suggestions and respond positively.
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