The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed that all documents and decisions related to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal be preserved digitally for at least five years. This announcement came during a high-level virtual meeting on Friday, February 13, 2026, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar.
The directive emphasizes strict accountability for electoral officials, including District Electoral Officers (DEOs), Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). The ECI warned that every document uploaded, along with related decisions during the SIR process, will be stored in the system for years. If any foreign national is later found to have been included in the final voter list due to negligence or lapses—even one, two, or five years after publication—the responsible officers could face prosecution.
The warning forms part of broader efforts to ensure thorough verification and prevent ineligible inclusions amid the SIR exercise, which aims to purify the electoral rolls by verifying citizenship and eligibility through document scrutiny. The Commission stressed that only approved documents, as prescribed by the ECI or court directives, should be considered for voter inclusion.
The virtual conference involved West Bengal's Chief Electoral Officer Manoj Agarwal, additional CEO officials, Special Rolls Observer Subrata Gupta, and district-level officers. It followed extensions to the SIR timeline, with hearings now concluding on February 14, 2026, document scrutiny and disposal by February 21, and the final electoral rolls scheduled for publication on February 28, 2026.
The ECI has repeatedly highlighted the need for rigorous verification, noting discrepancies in some uploaded documents during the process, such as illegible images or unauthorized submissions. The preservation directive is intended to maintain long-term auditability and deter any irregularities, reinforcing the Commission's commitment to a clean and credible voter list ahead of future elections.
This move comes amid ongoing scrutiny of the SIR in West Bengal, including Supreme Court interventions on procedural aspects and public concerns over voter inclusion/exclusion. Officials have been instructed to prioritize super-checking and reverification where necessary.
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