Kolkata: Around 34 lakh Aadhaar card holders in West Bengal have been found to be ‘deceased’ since the identity programme’s launch in January 2009, the Unique Identification Authority of India (UIDAI) has informed the Election Commission (EC), officials said on Wednesday.

UIDAI also told the EC that another 13 lakh residents who never possessed Aadhaar cards have since died, according to data shared during a meeting between UIDAI officials and the state’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Manoj Kumar Agarwal. The meeting was held as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

The exercise follows an EC directive asking state CEOs to coordinate with Aadhaar authorities to verify voter data and remove discrepancies in the rolls. “The EC has received complaints about ghost voters, deceased voters, absentees, and duplicate names. UIDAI’s data on deceased persons will help detect and eliminate such entries,” an official from the CEO’s office said.

Officials added that after the publication of draft rolls on December 9, applicants whose names have been deleted from the Aadhaar database may be called for verification by the concerned Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).

Poll authorities are also sourcing data from banks, as Aadhaar is linked to most accounts. “Banks have shared information on accounts without recent KYC updates, helping identify deceased individuals whose names still appear in voter lists,” the official said.

The SIR process, underway across West Bengal, aims to eliminate dead and fake voters. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are carrying out door-to-door verification using enumeration forms based on the 2025 rolls and cross-referencing them with data from the 2002 revision.

According to the CEO’s office, 6.98 crore, or 91.19 per cent, of Enumeration Forms had been distributed across the state as of 8 pm on Wednesday. Presence of ghost or duplicate voters in the draft rolls could invite disciplinary action against BLOs, officials added.

EROs have been directed to maintain accuracy and vigilance throughout the verification drive, they said.

With inputs from PTI