More than 6.51 lakh electors in Meghalaya have been identified for further verification as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. The Election Department has clarified that being flagged for scrutiny does not mean automatic deletion from the voter list and that no name will be removed without following the prescribed legal procedure.
According to the department, 6,51,644 electors have been flagged for verification. Of these, 2,22,786 fall under the “No Mapping” category, while 4,28,858 cases involve discrepancies with previous electoral records.
Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer B.D.R. Tiwari reviewed the progress of the exercise during a virtual meeting with Deputy Commissioners, District Election Officers, Sub-Divisional Officers, Electoral Registration Officers and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers. The review followed the publication of the Draft Electoral Roll for all 60 Assembly constituencies on August 5.
The authorities are examining cases identified through the ECINET system, including differences in the names of electors or their parents compared with earlier SIR records, unusual age differences between electors and their parents or siblings, cases involving more than six children linked to a single parent and discrepancies concerning grandparents.
Tiwari instructed election officials to scrutinise every case carefully, issue notices according to established procedures, prepare hearing schedules and maintain proper records of the proceedings.
He stressed that an elector being identified for scrutiny does not mean that the person’s name will automatically be deleted. Every affected voter will first receive a notice and be given an opportunity to appear before the Electoral Registration Officer or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer, submit relevant documents and explain their case before a reasoned decision is taken.
Booth-wise lists of Absent, Shifted, Death and Duplicate (ASDD) electors whose names do not appear in the draft roll have also been published on the websites of the Chief Electoral Officer and district election authorities. Voters can check the lists to determine the possible reasons for their names not appearing in the draft.
The claims and objections process began on August 5 and will continue until September 4. Notices, hearings and disposal of cases will continue until October 3, while the Final Electoral Roll is scheduled to be published on October 7.
Since the draft roll was published, the Election Department has received 2,449 applications, including 1,121 Form 6 applications, eight Form 7 applications, 253 Form 8 applications related to shifting and 1,067 other Form 8 applications.
Voters who could not submit their Enumeration Forms earlier can still apply for inclusion through Form 6, along with the prescribed declaration. Election officials have been directed to scrutinise and dispose of such applications within the stipulated period.
Tiwari also met representatives of recognised national and state political parties to discuss the draft roll, “No Mapping” cases, discrepancies, the notice-and-hearing process and applications submitted after publication of the draft.
Political parties have been urged to work through their Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to help eligible voters verify their details and file claims or objections. A total of 1,753 BLAs were appointed during the enumeration phase.
The Chief Electoral Officer appealed to district officials, political parties, BLAs, traditional institutions, civil society organisations, the media and citizens to remain actively involved in the revision process. Voters have also been advised not to wait until the deadline to check their names or submit claims and objections.
Anyone dissatisfied with an order passed by an Electoral Registration Officer can appeal to the District Magistrate within 15 days. A further appeal can be filed before the Chief Electoral Officer within 30 days of the District Magistrate’s decision.
The revision exercise is being conducted under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
The Election Department reiterated that the scrutiny is strictly a verification exercise. No elector whose name appears in the draft roll will be deleted without notice, an opportunity to be heard and a decision taken in accordance with due process.
