11 Days Left For SIR Claims Deadline, Pune Receives 10.91 Lakh Applications, 1.04 Lakh Still Pending

Pune: With just 11 days remaining for voters to file claims and objections under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Pune district has received 10.91 lakh applications across Forms 6, 7 and 8, of which 1,04,937 are still pending as of Nov 2. Despite processing nearly 90.4% of the applications, the District Election Office faces a considerable backlog, particularly in applications seeking corrections to voter details.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has revised Maharashtra's SIR schedule, extending the claims and objections deadline to Nov 13 and setting Nov 30 as the date for publication of the final electoral roll.

According to figures shared by the District Election Office with The Free Press Journal, Pune has received 10,46,634 Form 6 applications for inclusion of names in the electoral roll, of which 79,737 are pending. Under Form 7, which deals with objections and deletion of names, 5,024 applications have been received, with 2,311 awaiting disposal.

The district has also received 40,285 Form 8 applications, which are used for corrections and changes in voter details, including address-related modifications. Of these, 22,889 remain pending. Form 8 has the highest proportion of pending applications, with nearly 57% of submissions yet to be disposed of.

Overall, of the 10,91,943 applications received across the three categories, 9,87,006 have been processed, while 1,04,937 remain pending.

The revised ECI schedule, communicated on Oct 29, extends the claims and objections period in Maharashtra from Oct 26 to Nov 13. The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue until Nov 25. This leaves 23 days for officials to complete the disposal process and 28 days until publication of the final list.

Pune District Deputy Election Officer Minal Kalaskar told The Free Press Journal, “SIR is the main base for SSR. In the future, if anyone wants to add their name to the voters' list, they will have to apply through SSR, which is a supplement to SIR. Therefore, completing the SIR process as per the law, maintaining law and order and ensuring proper coordination with the Corporation are mandatory.”

She also said, “The SIR exercise is crucial as it would establish the foundation for subsequent electoral roll revisions.” Referring to the district's progress, she said the administration had been working towards completing the exercise within the stipulated timeline.

“The district administration had earlier reported that over 97% of the SIR work, covering approximately 62 lakh voters, had been completed,” she said.

EPIC Card's Importance Beyond Elections: Accepted Travel Document for Nepal

Kalaskar also highlighted the importance of the Electors Photo Identity Card (EPIC), pointing out that its significance extends beyond electoral participation, as it is accepted as an official travel document for Indian citizens travelling to Nepal by air.

She said, “Regarding Nepal and the EPIC card, I don't know whether India will impose any such rule or not, but this is also as important as the Aadhaar card and PAN card is in India today.”

Under the existing travel requirements, Indian citizens travelling by air between India and Nepal must carry either an original, valid Indian passport or an original voter ID card with a photograph issued by the Election Commission of India. Aadhaar, PAN cards and driving licences are not accepted as substitutes. Downloaded or printed online copies of voter ID cards are also not valid travel documents, according to the Indian Embassy in Kathmandu.

Pune's Voter Roll, From 90.80 Lakh Voters to SIR Application Backlog

Particulars - Figures

Total voters before SIR

90,80,173

Voters in draft electoral roll

62,13,692

Applications received – Form 6         

10,46,634

Applications pending – Form 6

79,737

Applications received – Form 7

5,024

Applications pending – Form 7

2,311

Applications received – Form 8

40,285

Applications pending – Form 8

22,889

Total applications received

10,91,943

Total applications pending

1,04,937