Memorandum Submitted to Chief Electoral Officer Seeking Reforms in SIR Process

Civil Society Groups Raise Concerns Over Electoral Roll Discrepancies and Enumeration Procedure

Ranchi: Representatives of various civil society organisations on Tuesday submitted a memorandum to Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K. Ravi Kumar, urging reforms in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. The delegation highlighted several practical issues encountered during the exercise and called for greater transparency, accuracy and clarity in the revision process.

According to the memorandum, volunteers associated with different organisations have been assisting voters and monitoring the SIR process across the state. During the exercise, they observed several irregularities, including discrepancies in electoral rolls and procedural confusion that, they claimed, could affect eligible voters.

The delegation pointed out that the names of several voters who had already been successfully mapped by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were later shifted to the 'Unmapped List', creating confusion among both voters and election officials. They also alleged that although the mapping exercise continued until June 15, the Unmapped List was made available much later, causing unnecessary inconvenience.

The memorandum further stated that discrepancies were noticed between the number of registered voters and the names appearing on electoral rolls at several polling stations. The representatives expressed concern that such inconsistencies could lead to the exclusion of eligible voters and demanded a fresh verification of the electoral rolls.

Concerns were also raised regarding the procedure for filling out the Enumeration Form. The delegation said that the absence of clear official guidelines had led to confusion among both voters and BLOs. They urged the Election Commission to issue comprehensive instructions to ensure uniform implementation across the state.

Among the key demands placed before the Chief Electoral Officer were the public release of detailed guidelines for the Enumeration Form, publication of the ASDD (Absent, Shifted, Dead and Duplicate) list on the official website as well as at Gram Sabha and Ward Sabha levels, and the inclusion of documents such as land records and family genealogy in the list of acceptable documents with adequate public awareness.

The delegation also demanded that all categories of electoral rolls be made available to Gram Sabhas, particularly in Scheduled Areas, in accordance with the spirit of the PESA Act, to facilitate local verification and timely correction of errors.

Those who submitted the memorandum included Afzal Anis (United Milli Forum), Parveer Peter, Priyashil, and representatives of several other civil society organisations. The delegation expressed hope that the Election Commission would seriously consider their suggestions and take necessary steps to make the SIR process more transparent, inclusive and error-free, ensuring that no eligible citizen is deprived of the right to vote.