A paralysed voter appeared for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearing in Midnapore earlier this week, drawing attendance to procedural challenges faced by vulnerable voters despite promises of ‘home hearing’ assistance by Election Commission (EC) for elderly, ill or physically incapacitated electors.
The incident occurred at the SIR hearing centre located within the District Magistrate’s office in West Midnapore. One of the voters, Alima Bibi, a resident of the Palbari area under Ward No. 18 of Midnapore Municipality, has been paralysed and confined to her home for the past six years. Bibi has been living in the Palbari area for nearly three decades. She received a hearing notice due to a spelling discrepancy in her husband’s name and was forced to appear for the hearing after she received “no assistance” from EC representatives, her family alleged.
“We informed the local EC representatives, specifically the Booth Level Officer (BLO), but no one came to our house before the hearing date so we had to bring her for the due process at the hearing center,” said Ruksana Bibi, daughter-in-law of Alima Bibi.
After receiving the SIR hearing notices, Alima Bibi’s family approached the local councillor for assistance as she was unable to travel on her own. She was brought to the hearing center in an ambulance. Upon arrival, the families were initially informed that the hearings would be conducted at the voters’ residences in view of their health conditions.
The Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO), accompanied by an Election Commission official and the concerned Booth Level Officer (BLO), came outside the hearing centre and completed the SIR hearing formalities with both voters while they remained seated inside the ambulance.
Responding to the family allegations AERO of the area, Sukanya Biswas Manna, refused the family’s claims saying that the BLO had informed Bibi’s kin about home hearing process. “The BLO had informed the family about home hearing assistance in adherence to the EC norms for elderly, ill or physically incapacitated voters. But now they are here and we are conducting the process as deemed necessary,” Mrs. Manna said.
Another resident of Palbari ward in West Midnapore also allegedly face similar plight after receiving SIR hearing notice. Resident of the same area, Sheikh Moniruddin’s family also alleged that no assistance was provided by Election Commission representatives during the process. Due to their medical condition, both voters were brought to the hearing centre in an ambulance, where the hearing was eventually conducted.
