ECI Ensuring No Elector Is Left Out In Bihar SIR

By Santu Das

New Delhi: With 10 days remaining for submitting the filled enumeration forms in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is leaving no stone unturned to ensure that no eligible elector is left out in the state, sources in the poll panel claimed on Wednesday.

As per the SIR, in order to get one's name in the Draft Electoral Roll to be published on 1st August, the strict condition for an elector is to sign and submit the pre-printed enumeration form before 25th July.

The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been visiting households to collect enumeration forms across the state.

Sources in the poll panel told ETV Bharat that, keeping in view that only 10 days are left for submitting the filled enumeration forms, the ECI has directed the BLOs to again visit those households where the electors were temporarily absent in their previous visits, in a bid to ensure that no eligible voters are left out.

The third round of household visits by the nearly 1 lakh BLOs will soon begin to collect the filled enumeration forms of the remaining electors in the poll-bound state.

The BLOs are being supported in their efforts by the 1.5 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by all political parties.

In addition to that, for facilitating the electors, special camps are being set up in all the Urban Local Bodies across Bihar. They are also being encouraged by the BLOs to fill up their forms online using their mobile phones through the ECINet App, sources in the ECI said.

"Special camps have been established in all the 5,683 wards of all 261 Urban Local Bodies of Bihar, and newspaper advertisements issued to ensure that the remaining electors fill their enumeration forms well in time and have their names also included in the Draft Electoral Roll. Electors are also being encouraged to fill up their forms online (as per para 3(d) of SIR guidelines) using their mobile phones through the ECINet App or through the online form on https://voters.eci.gov.in," they said.

The electors can also fill out their enumeration forms online and search for their names in the 2003 ER, wherever applicable, through the ECINet App. The electors can also connect with their election officials, including their BLOs.

The ECI sources said that it is also ensuring that no illegal immigrants manage to get their names on the final electoral rolls. It is scheduled to be published on September 30.

It may be mentioned that the ECI earlier said that the SIR's objective is to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the electoral roll (ER) and no ineligible voter is included.

Several reasons, such as rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths and inclusion of the names of foreign illegal immigrants have necessitated the conduct of an intensive revision so as to ensure integrity and preparation of error-free electoral rolls, it said.

According to the ECI till July 15, out of the 7,89,69,844 electors in Bihar, enumeration forms of 6,81,67,861 or 86.32 per cent have been collected.

Assembly elections in Bihar are scheduled to be held at the end of this year.

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