The Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to appoint only Central government officials as micro observers for the hearing sessions on the claims and objections on the draft voters’ list for West Bengal, which was published on December 16.

The hearing sessions on the claims and objections, which are part of the second stage of the three-part Special Intensive Revision (SIR), will start next week.

An insider from the CEO’s office said that the employees to be appointed as micro observers for the hearing session can be either direct Central government officials or officials from Central public sector undertakings, or officials from different public sector banks.

Those appointed as micro officers for the hearing session will be from the Group B category or above.

“A request had gone from the CEO’s office to the ECI headquarters in New Delhi seeking permission for appointments of micro observers for the hearing session. The reply had come from the Commission’s headquarters on Friday afternoon, granting the permission for appointment of micro observers,” a CEO’s office insider said.

The main task of the micro observers will be to ensure that the hearing sessions on claims and objections are being conducted by the electoral registration officers (EROs) as per guidelines laid down by the Commission.

Again, the micro observers will function under the supervision of the special roll observers, either serving or retired Indian Administrative Service officers, who were appointed by the commission to review the ongoing SIR exercise in the state that started on November 4.

The District Magistrates, as well as the District Electoral Officers, will be responsible for ensuring the security of both the special roll observers as well as the micro observers.

The final voters’ list will be published on February 14 next year, following which the Commission will announce the dates for the crucial Assembly elections.

The ECI had also sent a request to the Union Home Ministry for the deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) to secure the CEO’s office in central Kolkata immediately.

It is learnt that, as per the ECI’s proposal, the CAPF deployment will continue till the time the model code of conduct is enforced in the state after the dates for the Assembly elections in the state are announced.