Pune: The administration has begun preparations for the next phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls after completing the house-to-house survey across the Pune division. Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam directed district officials to prepare for the publication of the draft electoral roll, verification of unmapped voters, objections and hearings, and other follow-up action.
Chockalingam was speaking at a review meeting held at the Divisional Commissioner’s Office in Pune on Tuesday. He praised the district collectors and their teams for completing the first phase within the extended deadline.
Focus shifts to draft electoral roll
The first phase of the SIR focused on verifying whether voters were physically residing at their registered addresses. Officials carried out the mapping of voters using enumeration forms, existing electoral records, required documents and records from the past 20 years.
Chockalingam said the next phase would be more challenging. He asked officials to ensure that the process is properly planned and that citizens do not face unnecessary difficulties. He also directed officials to ensure that field staff and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are not placed under undue pressure.
Verification of unmapped voters
Officials will now focus on voters whose records could not be mapped during the first phase. Chockalingam directed officials to verify such cases by collecting the required documents as per the law and election guidelines. He said officials could study methods used in other states for serving notices, collecting documents and conducting preliminary verification. These methods can be adapted to local conditions.
The verification process can also be streamlined using available mobile numbers, photo identity cards and other valid documents, he said.
Chockalingam said the days immediately after publication of the draft electoral roll would be particularly important. He directed district-level social media teams, media relations teams and election officials to remain active during this period. Citizens must receive clear and accurate information about the electoral roll and the next steps, he said.
Officials have also been asked to explain the procedure for filing objections and attending hearings. Special attention must be given to entries classified as Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate (ASDD), Chockalingam said. Clear communication will be important to avoid confusion among voters.
Daily review of SIR data
Chockalingam directed officials to analyse the data available on the SIR dashboard every day. Work should be distributed among the concerned officials based on the data. Daily targets should also be fixed so that cases are resolved within the prescribed deadlines. He also instructed officials to complete pending technical work immediately.
Chockalingam said the first phase had helped improve the accuracy of the electoral roll. He described the exercise as an important part of the election process. He said the next phase must also be completed through proper planning, daily monitoring, adherence to legal procedures and transparent communication with citizens.
Collectors review district-wise progress
Divisional Commissioner Sheetal Teli-Ugale said all districts in the Pune division had completed the house-to-house survey within the stipulated period. She said the teams had faced geographical, social and administrative challenges during the exercise but completed the work successfully.
The administration is now prepared for the next phase, she said. Plans have been prepared for publishing the draft electoral roll, verifying unmapped voters, handling objections and hearings and completing related work. Teli-Ugale called for coordination among all districts during the next phase.
District collectors presented the status of the SIR in their respective districts during the meeting. They gave details about the house-to-house survey, distribution and collection of enumeration forms, voter record mapping, digitisation and verification of unmapped and ASDD-category voters. The collectors also briefed officials about preparations for the publication of the draft electoral roll and the objections and hearings process.
The meeting was attended by Pune District Collector Jitendra Dudi, Solapur District Collector S Kartikeyan, Satara District Collector Santosh Patil, Sangli District Collector Mainak Ghosh, Kolhapur District Collector Dr Vijay Rathod, Ratnagiri District Collector Manuj Jindal and Sindhudurg District Collector Trupti Dhodmise. Deputy District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers and other senior officials were also present.
