38% complaints through cVIGIL in Bengal frivolous

The Election Commission (EC) is facing a peculiar situation in West Bengal over the cVIGIL mobile application as nearly 38% of the complaints received through it have turned out to be frivolous.

The App was launched in the state on March 12 to enable people to lodge complaints with the EC.

Sources in the Chief Electoral Officer’s (CEO) office told DH that a large number of people are sending selfies, complaints of family disputes and photos of poorly maintained roads.

“From March 12 till March 22, we received about 1,420 complaints through the cVIGIL mobile application. Out of them 530 (37.32%) are frivolous complaints. People are sending selfies and sometimes complaints regarding family disputes which have nothing to do with the Lok Sabha elections,” a senior EC official said.

He also said that complaints regarding family disputes have come from the districts of Birbhum and Murshidabad. Currently, there is no penal provision for lodging baseless or frivolous complaints through the application.

EC sources further revealed that in North 24 Paraganas district, so far out of the 139 complaints lodged through the cVIGIL app 56 turned out to be frivolous. The action was taken in 79 complaints while the probe into four other complaints is yet to be completed.

As for Nadia district, 138 complaints were lodged out of which 57 turned out to be baseless. The action was taken in 81 complaints.

In Birbhum, the EC received 132 complaints out of which 42 were baseless and action was taken in about 90.

About 113 complaints were registered from South 24 Parganas districts out of which 50 were baseless and action was taken in 57 complaints. The investigation is yet to be completed in the rest six complaints.

Ninety-six complaints were received from Hooghly district out of which 28 were baseless while action has been taken about 67 complaints. The investigation is pending about one complaint.

As for Cooch Behar district, 92 complaints were received out of which 36 were baseless and action was taken in 56 complaints.

From Howrah district, EC got 77 complaints out of which 20 were baseless and action was taken in 57 complaints.

Some complaints were received from Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri and Jhargram, Kolkata North Lok Sabha constituency and Kolkata South Lok Sabha constituency.