The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued strict directives to the Chief Secretary of West Bengal, ordering the immediate suspension of Sumitra Pratim Prodhan, who holds the dual roles of Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) and Block Development Officer (BDO) of Basirhat-II. The Commission has further instructed that Prodhan be removed from any duties or responsibilities connected with electoral rolls, citing serious procedural lapses.
In an official communication addressed to the Chief Secretary, the Commission highlighted that Prodhan had assigned four officials to act as Additional AEROs, tasked with handling hearings related to discrepancies in voter lists. However, the Commission noted that these four officials had never been formally or legally appointed as AEROs under Section 13C of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. According to the ECI, this constitutes a grave violation of statutory norms and amounts to serious misconduct on the part of the officer.
The Election Commission has mandated that disciplinary proceedings against Prodhan commence immediately. The authorities have been directed to submit a detailed compliance report within 48 hours, outlining the steps taken and progress made in initiating the proceedings. In addition, the Commission has requested that regular updates be provided to monitor the status of the disciplinary action, underscoring the body’s zero-tolerance approach to any breach of electoral rules or unauthorized delegation of responsibilities.
This move by the Election Commission comes at a time when maintaining the integrity and credibility of electoral rolls is considered a top priority, especially in view of upcoming elections. By taking swift action, the Commission aims to ensure that procedural irregularities are promptly addressed and that officials adhere strictly to the legal framework governing electoral processes.
