Kolkata, Nov. 24 -- West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Monday wrote a letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEO) Gyanesh Kumar, demanding his "immediate intervention" into two recent issues. She mentioned in the letter about the state CEO's direction to district election officers not to engage contractual data-entry operators and Bangla Sahayata Kendra staff for SIR or other poll-related work. The other matter is a proposal of the EC to set up polling booths inside private residential complexes. In the letter which she shared on X, the CM wondered whether those matters are being undertaken to help "a political party". "It has recently come to light that the CEO, West Bengal, has directed District Election Officers (DEOs) not to engage contractual data entry operators and Bangla Sahyata Kendra (BSK) staff for SIR-related or other election-related data work. "Simultaneously, the CEO's office has floated a Request for Proposal (RfP) for hiring 1,000 Data Entry Operators and 50 Software Developers for a period of one year," the letter read.
Banerjee, also the TMC supremo, wondered what the necessity was to outsource the same work through an external agency for a full year when district offices already have a substantial number of "competent professionals" performing such functions. She said, "Traditionally, field offices have always hired their own contractual data entry personnel as per requirement. If there is an urgent need, DEOS are fully empowered to undertake such hiring themselves." Banerjee wondered why the CEO's office is assuming this role on behalf of field offices. "Is this exercise being undertaken at the behest of a political party to serve vested interests? The timing and manner of this RfP certainly raise legitimate doubts," the CM said in the letter. The chief minister also objected to a reported proposal to set up polling stations inside private residential complexes, claiming such locations compromise fairness, violate established norms and create discriminatory distinctions between residents and the general public. She claimed that polling stations have always been located in government or semi-government institutions to ensure accessibility and neutrality. Banerjee said,"Why is such a move being contemplated at all? Again, is this being done under pressure from a political party to advance their partisan interests?" The implications of such a decision would have a severe impact on the fairness of the electoral process, she claimed. Asserting that the dignity and credibility of the Election Commission must remain above reproach "under any circumstances", the CM said, "I urge you to examine these issues with utmost seriousness, impartiality, and transparency."
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.