Who is Vibhu Goel? The New ACEO of West Bengal and His Crucial Role in Voter Appeals
Appointment of Vibhu Goel as ACEO
Kolkata: On Monday, Vibhu Goel, a senior officer in the Indian Administrative Service (IAS), was designated as the Additional Chief Electoral Officer (ACEO) for West Bengal. His primary role will be to liaise with judges overseeing the 19 Appellate Tribunals established to address cases involving the removal of voters' names due to 'logical discrepancies'.
According to a notification from Manoj Kumar Agarwal, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of West Bengal, Goel will serve as the main contact point between the Election Commission of India (ECI), the judges of the Appellate Tribunals, and the Calcutta High Court.
His duties will include ensuring timely communication of all directives, advisories, and updates from the ECI to the judges of the Appellate Tribunals. He will also oversee the logistical and infrastructural readiness at tribunal locations, which encompasses staffing, technical assistance, transportation, and security measures.
Additionally, Goel will track and report the status of appeal uploads on the ECI portal for various districts, coordinate with the judges regarding their honorarium, and address any queries or concerns they may have. His role is crucial in maintaining effective communication about the operational readiness and timelines of the Appellate Tribunals.
The notification from the CEO highlighted that these responsibilities align with the request made by the Registrar General of the Hon’ble High Court of Calcutta, aiming for efficient and accountable coordination in the operations of the Appellate Tribunals under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026.
To provide context, the final voters' list for West Bengal, which does not include the 60 lakh cases pending judicial review, was released on February 28. It was announced that supplementary lists would be issued as the adjudication process progresses.
Prior to the issuance of the SIR notification in November of the previous year, the total voter count in West Bengal was recorded at 7,66,37,529. The draft voters' list published in December indicated that 58,20,899 names had been removed, a figure that increased to 63,66,952 in the final list released on February 28.