Haryana Chief Electoral Officer, Sh. A.Sreenivas, said that as per the guidelines of the Election Commission of India(ECI), the Chief Electoral Officers of States and Union Territories regularly conduct special campaigns to prepare error-free, updated, and transparent voter lists in their respective states. In this series, the Commission has decided to start a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll in the State of Bihar.
He said that under this mega campaign, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door verification of information to ensure that all eligible citizens are included in the list, ineligible names are removed, and the entries of ineligible persons are prevented.
Need of Special Intensive Revision
He said that the Commission believes that due to various reasons such as rapid urbanization, 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.
Encouraging active participation of political parties
He said that the ECI has appealed to all political parties to appoint their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) for each polling station so that transparency is maintained during the revision and any irregularities can be corrected at the initial stage.
Mandatory compliance with constitutional and legal provisions
During the revision process, strict compliance will be ensured with the eligibility criteria mentioned under Article 326 of the Constitution and Sections 16 and 23 of the Representation of the People Act, 1950. The documents submitted for addition of names will be verified by the ERO (Electoral Registration Officer) and uploaded on ECINET to ensure complete transparency.
Special care for privacy
To maintain the confidentiality of voter documents, arrangements have been made that these documents will remain restricted only to authorized election officers. In case of any claims or objections, the Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) will investigate, and if needed, appeals can be made to the District Magistrate or the Chief Electoral Officer.
Special facilities for vulnerable groups
The Election Commission has given clear directions that elderly, sick, and other vulnerable voters should not face any inconvenience. For this, assistance from volunteers, special camps, and mobile teams will be arranged as required.
Public cooperation essential for overall success
The Election Commission has clarified that this important democratic exercise will be successful only with the full participation of voters and political parties. The revision process will not only improve the quality of the voter list but will also strengthen the transparency and fairness of the upcoming elections.