ECI Special Hearing Centres For Marginalised Communities
Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India has decided to set up 160 special decentralised hearing centres in select districts of West Bengal to support marginalised communities living in remote areas. The initiative forms part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls and aims to ensure that eligible voters are not denied their voting rights because of procedural hurdles.
The proposed ECI special hearing centres for marginalised communities will come up across 12 districts. These districts include Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri, Jhargram, Purulia, West Midnapore, Bankura, Nadia, West Burdwan, Howrah, and North 24 Parganas. Sources from the office of the Chief Electoral Officer of West Bengal said that, depending on local requirements, a few such centres may also be set up in the coastal belts of South 24 Parganas district.
ECI special hearing centres under Special Intensive Revision
According to sources, district magistrates who also serve as district electoral officers had sent recommendations to the Election Commission through the Chief Electoral Officer’s office. These recommendations sought permission to establish decentralised hearing centres in remote locations. After reviewing the requests, the Commission approved the proposal, citing the legitimacy of the requirement.
The centres will function as temporary hearing camps. Electoral officers will personally visit remote areas and conduct hearings for a day or for a few days, based on local needs. Officials said this approach would help reach communities that often face difficulties travelling to regular hearing locations.
Meanwhile, sources said the Commission has remained sensitive to the concerns of marginalised groups since the Special Intensive Revision began in West Bengal. They noted that the Commission has introduced several relaxations over time to prevent the denial of voting rights due to procedural issues. The decision to set up these centres is described as the latest step in that direction.
Earlier, the Election Commission announced that voters belonging to three aboriginal or primitive tribes would be automatically included in the final voters list. These communities are Birhor, Toto, and Sabar. Members of these tribes will not be required to submit documents for enrolment.
Before that announcement, the Commission had also extended special relaxations for sex workers, people from transgender or other communities, and declared monks. These relaxations related to identity proof requirements during hearings on claims and objections to the draft voters list. In such cases, the Commission decided not to be strict about the authenticity of supporting identity documents, unlike the process followed for regular categories of voters.
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