Amid concerns raised by various political parties, including the ruling Aam Aadmi Party, over possible exclusion of voters, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is all set to roll out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls from Monday.
With elections to the state Vidhan Sabha round the corner, the ECI will begin the exercise of training the staff and getting electoral forms printed from Monday onwards, when the preparation phase for the SIR gets underway.
This is being done before the house-to-house survey begins for 2.14 crore voters in the state from June 25. Over the next 10 days, 24,453 block level officers (BLOs), 2,500 supervisors and 936 officers will be trained for conducting voter verification, updating records and registration of new voters.
Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab, Anindita Mitra told The Tribune that before the exercise began, the commission had already completed the mapping of 86 per cent voters (where a current voter’s record is being matched with voter record from the last SIR, conducted in 2003).
“This exercise will ensure that electoral rolls remain accurate, inclusive and free from any duplication or ineligible entries. The BLOs are being trained to not just conduct verification of voters, but also to assist voters in completing all documentation,” she said. Eight officers, including electoral registration officers and assistant electoral registration officers, had been deputed in each of the 117 Assembly segments in the state, she added.
There are seven recognised political parties in Punjab. The Aam Aadmi Party, Congress, Shiromani Akali Dal, BJP and BSP have already started appointing block level agents (BLAs). They will assist the BLOs in the SIR. Only the Nationalist People’s Party and the CPI (Marxist) have not yet started that process.
Officials say over 8,500 BLAs have been appointed by five parties and more appointments are likely in the coming days before the house-to-house survey begins. Many parties have expressed concerns over the alleged deletion of votes of those who are either studying abroad or are on work permit in other countries/states, and also inclusion of migrant workers who come to Punjab to earn livelihood. All political parties, barring the BJP, have expressed concerns and are keeping a hawk’s eye on the entire exercise.
After the house surveys are complete by July 24, draft rolls will be published on July 31. The claims and objections will be invited and disposed of between July 31 and September 29. The final electoral rolls will be published on October 1.
