Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has become a headache for the BLOs as well as voters. Many voters don’t know how to fill forms.
Others are unable to locate their own names in the 2003 list, though they remember having voted in the assembly polls held that year. Locating the names of family members in 2003 lists is also a difficult task, especially if they were voters in other districts of states.
Thirty-three-year-old Kamla Ahirwar shifted to Talaiya from Professor’s Colony a few years back. But she continued to exercise her franchise at the booth in Professor’s Colony. Her name did not figure in 2003 voters’ list as she was minor then. She needed EPIC number of her mother who lived in a village in Sagar district, in the enumeration form. “The officials at the booth told me that they cannot provide EPIC number to me and I was asked to go to 12 Daftar,” she said.
Kamla, ultimately, succeeded in locating her mother’s name in the 2003 list. But her husband, Tulsiram Ahirwar couldn’t. “I was told that my name has been deleted from voters’ list. They did not tell me why. I was asked to come after December 4 to get my name added,” he said.
Businessman Nasir Ali, 50, shifted to Idgah Hills from Professor’s Colony 10 years ago. His parents continued to stay at their old home and were voters for around 30 years. He and his brother cast vote at Professor’s Colony. After making two rounds of the booth to collect the enumeration form of his bed-ridden brother, he did get the document but was told that he would have to submit it online, unless he filled the form right there. “I don’t know why I was told this when the last date is December 4,” he asked.
A 47-year-old homemaker, Sunita Ingle, and her driver-husband Prakash remember having voted in the 2003 elections. But she was told that her and her husband’s name are not on 2003 list. “Hamare saare parivar walon ke naam gayab hain,” she complains.
Sunita Malviya, a single working woman, did not receive enumeration form. When she visited the booth, the BLO told her that he had been to her home twice but it was locked. “I am in a job and I live alone.
Naturally, my house is locked for most part of the day,” she explained to BLO, after which she was provided her form but was asked to fill it in then and there. “I didn’t have my father’s EPIC number and so I brought the form with me. I don’t know whether they will accept it tomorrow,” she said.
