EC eases SIR process with home visits, online hearings and help desks

The Election Commission has announced home visits by Booth Level Officers, help desks and online hearings for voters facing notices during the Special Intensive Revision. It also extended deadlines for claims and objections in Delhi and Maharashtra

New Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday announced a series of measures, including home visits by election officials, help desks and additional time for filing claims and objections, for voters facing notices during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.

Following a meeting attended by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Dr S S Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, the poll panel said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) would conduct home visits to collect and upload documents on its unified ECINet portal for unmapped persons or those with logical discrepancies.

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The EC said in-person hearings at the offices of Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) would no longer be required except in exceptional circumstances, which would preferably be conducted online.

Authorised family members can also attend hearings on behalf of electors, it said, adding that facilities for online hearings were being strengthened.

The EC also directed District Election Officers to set up adequate help desks and hold special camps, as required, for people living in night shelters, labourers, poor people and homeless persons.

The poll panel said various upgrades had already been made to the portal based on inputs received from State Chief Electoral Officers over the past few months. Any further flexibility required by field officers would also be made operational, it added.

Following a request from the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi, the period for filing claims and objections has been extended until October 30. The deadline for disposal of notices, claims and objections has consequently been extended until November 30.

In Maharashtra, the deadline for filing claims and objections has been extended until October 12 following a request from the state’s Chief Electoral Officer. The period for disposal of notices, claims and objections has been extended until November 10.

For the 20 states and Union Territories where SIR has already been completed, including Bihar and West Bengal, the ECI said anyone whose name was left out during SIR or thereafter can apply afresh for inclusion in the electoral rolls under the continuous updation process.

Young and first-time voters can also apply, it said.

The ECI has directed the respective Chief Electoral Officers to facilitate the process and immediately launch a special drive to enrol such voters.

In Goa, the Chief Electoral Officer has directed concerned BLOs to conduct house-to-house visits to voters whose names were left out and collect their forms. The EC said 81 of the 97 voters concerned had already submitted Form 6 for inclusion in the electoral rolls.