01-13-2006, 12:11 PM
<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin--><b>Rao chides BDOs; may ask for new voters' list </b>
Saugar Sengupta/ Krishnagore/Kolkata
KJ RAO, the Election Commission Observer who played a crucial role in humbling the 75 lakh fake voters in Bihar, is raining fire in Nadia, a district that is reported to have fostered one of the most elaborate armies of bogus voters.
After meeting more than 500 people in the last couple of days and speaking to the "limbs and eyes" of the EC - read local bureaucrats and politicians of rival political parties - a seemingly "dismayed" <b>Rao has said he would scrap the existing voters' list and order the Government to draw up a fresh one if the poll officials continued to remain slack in discharging their duties</b>.
<b>"You people are simply disgusting,"</b> Mr Rao reportedly told a 'thoroughly groomed' Block Development Officer after the officer failed to clarify<b> "how so many fake names crowded the list despite repeated revisions of the rolls</b>". The BDO, who later developed some "nausea" felt "I have never seen such a proactive officer in my life". Though there are 18 other Observers doing duty all over the State, all focus is on the "hero of Bihar elections."
The "proactive" Observer has travelled several hundred kilometers in the last three days. At Krishnagore, he is known as "a saab put on dieting" by Election Commission.
Unlike previous Observers, Mr Rao, said a senior district bureaucrat, finishes his lunch in minutes and doesn't tend to take a small mid-noon siesta that the district administration has so meticulously planned for him. "No other Observer took so little time for lunch", a seeming "disgruntled" official said, adding, "it is becoming tough for the frail local officers to keep pace with him." According to insiders, the administration had tried their best to enter Mr Rao's heart through his belly but none of the scrumptious dishes could impress him.Â
When at Bogula village in Hanshkhali region,<b> Mr Rao asked a school teacher as to why he was in possession of voters' ID cards of two students, both below 18 years of age, the teacher said a group of politicians had asked him to do so. "Now this is the situation and you people have been sitting idle inside your offices," </b>the Observer reportedly told the local officials.
Interestingly, Nadia is a stronghold of Congress strongman Shankar Singh, who like neighbouring Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury, has a large number of followers in and around Hanshkhali. "Most number of contract killings in Nadia, Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas are carried out by people from Hanshkhali," a police officer said.
From Nabadwip, to Shantipur, to Ranaghat - Mr Rao has gone on chiding the BDOs and other officials in charge asking "DM saab" Rajesh Pandey "kuch kijeye warna situation kaise improve hoga... ab aap phirse electoral roll dekhiye aur ghalat naam nikalye...You should be seizing the old cards ... I find many people still have two cards ... This is dangerous because they can use it in the future..."
Such has been the impact of Mr Rao that the administration has begun arresting holders of false photo identity cards.
Said Ranaghat SDO M Islam, "The police have arrested two Bangladeshis, Nripen Biswas and Sunil Thakur for keeping false voters' ID cards and ration cards. Mr Rao is scheduled to stay back."
Meanwhile, Nationalist Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata her party would lodge a complaint against the CPI(M) leadership for threatening to use arms against their opponents in the Maoist-infested belts. "We shall send a complaint to the EC as their senior leaders are threatening that they would use force against in the Maoist belt ... This means they will use the same tactic to eliminate our workers from those areas."
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Commie raj ka kamal, finally they have to move some limbs
Saugar Sengupta/ Krishnagore/Kolkata
KJ RAO, the Election Commission Observer who played a crucial role in humbling the 75 lakh fake voters in Bihar, is raining fire in Nadia, a district that is reported to have fostered one of the most elaborate armies of bogus voters.
After meeting more than 500 people in the last couple of days and speaking to the "limbs and eyes" of the EC - read local bureaucrats and politicians of rival political parties - a seemingly "dismayed" <b>Rao has said he would scrap the existing voters' list and order the Government to draw up a fresh one if the poll officials continued to remain slack in discharging their duties</b>.
<b>"You people are simply disgusting,"</b> Mr Rao reportedly told a 'thoroughly groomed' Block Development Officer after the officer failed to clarify<b> "how so many fake names crowded the list despite repeated revisions of the rolls</b>". The BDO, who later developed some "nausea" felt "I have never seen such a proactive officer in my life". Though there are 18 other Observers doing duty all over the State, all focus is on the "hero of Bihar elections."
The "proactive" Observer has travelled several hundred kilometers in the last three days. At Krishnagore, he is known as "a saab put on dieting" by Election Commission.
Unlike previous Observers, Mr Rao, said a senior district bureaucrat, finishes his lunch in minutes and doesn't tend to take a small mid-noon siesta that the district administration has so meticulously planned for him. "No other Observer took so little time for lunch", a seeming "disgruntled" official said, adding, "it is becoming tough for the frail local officers to keep pace with him." According to insiders, the administration had tried their best to enter Mr Rao's heart through his belly but none of the scrumptious dishes could impress him.Â
When at Bogula village in Hanshkhali region,<b> Mr Rao asked a school teacher as to why he was in possession of voters' ID cards of two students, both below 18 years of age, the teacher said a group of politicians had asked him to do so. "Now this is the situation and you people have been sitting idle inside your offices," </b>the Observer reportedly told the local officials.
Interestingly, Nadia is a stronghold of Congress strongman Shankar Singh, who like neighbouring Congress MP Adhir Chowdhury, has a large number of followers in and around Hanshkhali. "Most number of contract killings in Nadia, Murshidabad and North 24 Parganas are carried out by people from Hanshkhali," a police officer said.
From Nabadwip, to Shantipur, to Ranaghat - Mr Rao has gone on chiding the BDOs and other officials in charge asking "DM saab" Rajesh Pandey "kuch kijeye warna situation kaise improve hoga... ab aap phirse electoral roll dekhiye aur ghalat naam nikalye...You should be seizing the old cards ... I find many people still have two cards ... This is dangerous because they can use it in the future..."
Such has been the impact of Mr Rao that the administration has begun arresting holders of false photo identity cards.
Said Ranaghat SDO M Islam, "The police have arrested two Bangladeshis, Nripen Biswas and Sunil Thakur for keeping false voters' ID cards and ration cards. Mr Rao is scheduled to stay back."
Meanwhile, Nationalist Trinamool Congress president Mamata Banerjee said in Kolkata her party would lodge a complaint against the CPI(M) leadership for threatening to use arms against their opponents in the Maoist-infested belts. "We shall send a complaint to the EC as their senior leaders are threatening that they would use force against in the Maoist belt ... This means they will use the same tactic to eliminate our workers from those areas."
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Commie raj ka kamal, finally they have to move some limbs