Kolkata: A large scale revision of electoral rolls in West Bengal has revealed that nearly 34 lakh Aadhaar card holders in the state have been marked as deceased, according to data shared by the Unique Identification Authority of India with the Election Commission. The figure reflects individuals recorded as deceased in the Aadhaar system since its launch in 2009.

In addition to this, officials said about 13 lakh people in the state who did not possess Aadhaar cards have also been officially recorded as deceased. Many of these names may still appear on voter lists, prompting the Election Commission to intensify its clean up exercise.

The information was shared during a review meeting between UIDAI officials and the state’s Chief Electoral Officer. The data is expected to help electoral officers identify outdated, duplicate or ghost entries as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across West Bengal.

As part of the process, booth level officers are conducting door to door verification to confirm voter details. Over 6.8 crore enumeration forms have been distributed across districts, marking one of the largest verification drives undertaken in the state.

Election authorities said the use of Aadhaar linked information will make it easier to spot discrepancies, especially cases where deceased individuals continue to be listed as active voters. Officials added that notices may be issued in cases where details do not match records.

The clean up is aimed at ensuring that updated and accurate voter lists are in place before upcoming elections, strengthening transparency and preventing misuse of outdated entries.