West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee wrote again to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar on Monday, questioning the poll body's move to hire contractual data-entry operators for Special Intensive Revision-related work in the state. The chief minister also questioned the proposal to set up polling stations at private housing complexes.
In her letter, the Trinamool Congress chief asked the rationale behind West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer's move to hire contractual workers for work related to Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in the state.
"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. This raises serious concerns. When district offices already have a substantial number of competent professionals performing such functions, what necessitates the CEO's initiative to outsource the same work through an external agency for a full year?" she asked.
Banerjee questioned whether such a proposal has been floated at the behest of a political party, "to serve vested interests". Mamata said the timing of the proposal raises legitimate doubts.
The chief minister also questioned the move to set up polling stations inside private housing complexes. The Trinamool Congress leader said such venues compromise fairness, "violate established norms and create discriminatory distinctions between residents and the general public".
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Questioning the move, Banerjee asked whether it is 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 said.
