Nashik: The house-to-house survey under the first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) has been completed within the stipulated period, including the extended deadline. The focus should now shift to the next stages of the SIR process, including the publication of the draft electoral roll, handling objections and conducting hearings systematically and transparently, Chief Electoral Officer S Chokkalingam said.
He also directed officials to take special care to ensure that no misconceptions arise regarding absent voters, migrated voters, deceased voters, or have duplicate entries in the electoral rolls.
Chokkalingam was speaking at a review meeting on the SIR work in the Nashik division held at the Divisional Commissioner’s Office. Divisional Commissioner Dr Pravin Gedam, Nashik Collector Ayush Prasad, Dhule Collector Bhagyashree Vispute, Ahilyanagar Collector Dr Pankaj Ashiya, Jalgaon Collector Rohan Ghuge, Nandurbar Collector Dr Mitali Sethi, along with all Deputy District Election Officers and Electoral Registration Officers from the Nashik division, were present.
Chokkalingam said all district collectors and their teams had completed the first phase of the SIR within the prescribed timeframe. During this phase, verification was carried out to determine whether the concerned voter was actually residing at the registered address. The mapping of voter records was also undertaken on the basis of enumeration forms and available electoral records.
With the first phase completed, the election machinery should remain fully prepared for the second phase, he said. The work related to electronic roll printing should be completed promptly. After the publication of the draft electoral rolls, election officials should remain active and provide citizens with accurate information about the process.
If voters whose names have been deleted raise objections, the issues should be addressed appropriately. Such voters should also be informed about submitting Form No. 6 after completing the required documentation. Chokkalingam further instructed officials to follow the Election Commission’s guidelines regarding the issuance of notices, collection of documents and preliminary verification.
He said digital platforms should be used while serving notices to voters in connection with objections over deleted names. Proper hearings should be conducted and appropriate action taken thereafter. Officials must respond promptly to voters’ doubts and objections to prevent the spread of misinformation or misunderstandings regarding the process.
Chokkalingam also stressed the need for greater public awareness through the media and sought the cooperation of all sections of society. He directed officials to hold meetings with political representatives and public representatives and organise training programmes for effective implementation of the process.
After the publication of the draft electoral roll, extensive awareness campaigns should be conducted regarding lists of deceased, migrated and duplicate voters, as well as the overall SIR process. Citizens should also be clearly informed about the procedure for filing objections and the subsequent hearing process.
“Special care must be taken to ensure that no misconceptions are created regarding absent, migrated, deceased and duplicate voters,” Chokkalingam said.
Divisional Commissioner Dr Gedam directed all districts to undertake awareness programmes at the district and taluka levels to provide detailed information about the SIR process.
During the meeting, collectors from all districts in the Nashik division presented the current status of the SIR work in their respective districts.
