No need to doubt transparency of SIR in Jharkhand, says CEO
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began at all 29,571 booths in Jharkhand on June 30, with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began at all 29,571 booths in Jharkhand on June 30, with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs)-2 meeting the local public, followed by distribution of enumeration forms. So far, 82% of voters have been mapped. For the 2.64 crore voters, 31,892 BLOs are engaged. Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) K. Ravi Kumar says in an interview that there is no need to doubt the SIR process regarding transparency. He says SIR is to ensure constitutional rights to Indian citizens. Excerpts SIR has already been conducted in other States. Do you find it challenging in Jharkhand? Jharkhand is not a challenge. Information is very clear; the Election Commission’s instructions are very clear. Wherever there is misinformation and half-truths, we are addressing the issue. We have provided intensive training for all field functionaries, and now they are very clear about the SIR process. I do not feel any problem in the enumeration process and the verification process. In Jharkhand, the process will go smoothly. Several leaders of the ruling parties are calling SIR a threat to the constitutional right. SIR is to ensure the constitutional rights of people. It is the exclusive right given to the citizens under Article 326. Only Indian citizens who attained the age of 18 and living in the area are entitled as voters.
Being a constitutional right, no authority can deny such a right to the voter living in Jharkhand. So, it is the responsibility of all election machineries functioning in Jharkhand to ensure that the people’s constitutional rights are ensured. No need to worry about any eligible citizen about his/her constitutional right as a voter. There is a fear among the minorities that their names will be deleted. SIR is to ensure the purification of electoral rolls. Over the period of time, there were some data accumulated in the electoral rolls, and there are some people who gave false declarations about their nationality, and their names figure in the electoral rolls. The names of voters falling into five categories — Absent, Permanently Shifted, Deceased, Duplicate, and Non-Indian will not be included in the draft publication of the electoral roll. There are legal and illegal foreign nationals living in India as well as in Jharkhand. Both categories, they are not eligible to register as voters. These two categories come under ‘refuse to sign the enumeration forms’, and it is very clear that the enumeration form is only for citizens of India. If you are a non-citizen, you have to return the enumeration form to the BLOs without a signature. So only these five category names would be removed, and all other names would be enrolled.
The BriefWire