New Delhi, Dec 10 (IANS) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed Chief Electoral Officers (CEOs) of all 12 states and Union Territories currently undergoing the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) to ensure that Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of political parties receive booth-wise lists of electors categorised as Absent, Shifted or Dead/Duplicate (ASD).
The move mirrors the practice adopted during the Bihar SIR and aims to enhance transparency and accuracy in the electoral roll revision process.
According to the Commission, the ASD lists comprise names of electors who could not be contacted even after three or more visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs).
The ECI has directed that these lists be shared with BLAs nominated by district presidents of political parties before the publication of the draft electoral rolls.
As part of the exercise, nearly 5 lakh BLOs across the 12 SIR-ongoing states and UTs will conduct booth-wise meetings with over 12 lakh BLAs.
During these interactions, BLOs will physically hand over ASD lists and seek feedback to ascertain the correct status of each elector. The Commission said this collaborative verification is crucial to rectifying any errors before the draft electoral rolls are issued.
“This is to ascertain the exact status of each such elector on the ASD list, so that any error can be rectified before the publication of the draft Electoral Rolls itself. This step is in line with the ECI’s commitment that no eligible elector is left out,” the ECI said in its press note.
The ECI emphasised that the measure upholds its commitment to ensuring that no eligible elector is excluded from the rolls. By involving political parties at the booth level, the Commission aims to create a more robust mechanism for cross-verification and error detection.
“Upon publication of the draft Electoral Roll, and as was done during the Bihar SIR also, booth-wise/assembly-wise/district-wise ASD lists in all 12 SIR ongoing States/UTs will be made available on the websites of the respective DEOs/DMs (district-wise) as well as on the CEO website, and this will also be available in an EPIC-searchable mode,” it said.
--IANS
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