Shillong, May 15: A day after the Election Commission of India announced the schedule for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Election Department of the Meghalaya government held a meeting with all political parties of the state.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), BDR Tiwari, said that the parties were briefed regarding the procedure for SIR and all queries and concerns raised by the political parties were addressed.
Tiwari said that the parties were urged to appoint Booth Level Agents (BLAs) since they are important to work at the grassroot level along with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs). BLAs are meant to help maintain transparency during the SIR process.
“We are fully committed to keep this entire SIR exercise transparent, free, fair and make our electoral roll healthy and error-free,” the CEO stated.
Voters have different processes they have to complete depending on specific characteristics.
For those voters whose names were registered in the 2005 voter list, they must submit the relevant part of the abstract of that year’s rolls with the enumeration form. Other categories are for those born in India before July 1, 1987 (anyone born in the country before that date was automatically an Indian citizen); those born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004 whose mother’s or father’s name is not registered in the 2005 voters list; Category D electors who were born after December 2, 2004 and whose mother’s and father’s names are not registered in the 2005 voters’ list.
At the meeting the United Democratic Party (UDP) raised concerns about voters in border areas, individuals holding dual EPICs and illegal immigrants obtaining EPICs.
According to UDP vice-president Allantry F Dkhar, the Election Department assured that the exercise is being carried out to ensure no doubtful voters or non-residents of Meghalaya remain on the electoral roll. “We will keep an eye on how things are being conducted for which we will be appointing our Booth Level Agents,” Dkhar said.
The National People’s Party (NPP), for its part, raised concerns that the Election Commission does not recognise certificates issued by traditional heads for individuals seeking an EPIC.
Meanwhile, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) said that it was the first to appoint BLAs for the upcoming SIR.
