Permanent resident certificate admissible under SIR 2026: Election Commission

Kolkata: The Election Commission of India has clarified that Permanent Resident Certificate is one of the admissible documents for determining eligibility under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in West Bengal, an official said on Saturday.

In a communication to the West Bengal Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) sent on Friday, the Commission referred to earlier correspondence dated January 1 and January 12, 2026, and stated that the SIR guidelines issued on October 27, 2025, explicitly include the Permanent Resident Certificate as a valid document, he said.

The Commission said that Domicile or Permanent Resident Certificates in West Bengal are issued in accordance with a state government letter dated November 2, 1999, and subsequent orders issued thereunder.


It clarified that Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), as competent statutory authorities under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, shall accept only those Permanent Resident Certificates that are issued by designated authorities.

These authorities include the District Magistrate, Additional District Magistrate, Sub-Divisional Officer, and the Collector of Kolkata, provided the certificates are issued strictly in conformity with the guidelines notified by the state government.

The Commission has directed that these instructions be brought to the notice of all concerned officers for strict compliance.