Meghalaya completes 90 per cent SIR hearings, 910 electors found ineligible

Meghalaya has completed more than 90 per cent of hearings under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with 910 electors found ineligible for inclusion in the Final Electoral Roll, according to the Election Department.

Of the 6,51,735 notices issued during the revision process, 5,90,784 hearings have been completed, accounting for 90.65 per cent of the total. Another 19,07,182 electors from the Draft Electoral Roll have been retained for the Final Publication.

The figures were reviewed during a meeting chaired by Meghalaya Chief Electoral Officer B D R Tiwari with Deputy Commissioners/District Election Officers, Electoral Registration Officers and other election officials on September 29. A separate meeting was also held with representatives of recognised national and state political parties.

Of the notices issued, 6,51,066 have been delivered, while 619 remain pending delivery. The notices comprise 2,22,786 cases categorised as ‘No Mapping’ and 4,28,949 cases involving mapping discrepancies.

The Election Department clarified that receiving a notice or being categorised under ‘No Mapping’ or mapping discrepancy does not automatically lead to deletion from the electoral roll. Each case is to be examined through the prescribed process before a decision is taken.

BLOs to collect documents from voters

Under the latest directions of the Election Commission of India, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit the homes of electors who have received notices because of ‘No Mapping’ or logical discrepancies. They will collect the required documents and upload them on ECINET for consideration by the concerned Electoral Registration Officer.

Such electors will ordinarily not have to visit ERO or AERO offices for a hearing. Hearings will be required only in exceptional cases, with online hearings preferred. Electors may also authorise an adult family member to appear on their behalf.

The election authorities have also been asked to strengthen facilities for online hearings and provide assistance to senior citizens, persons with disabilities and others who may face difficulty travelling to election offices.

Special help desks and camps will be organised, where required, for vulnerable groups, including homeless people, labourers, economically disadvantaged persons and those living in night shelters.

Over 23,000 applications digitised

The revision exercise has also resulted in 23,259 applications being received and digitised across Meghalaya.

These include 12,624 Form 6 applications for inclusion, 1,616 Form 7 applications, 1,590 Form 8 applications for shifting and 7,429 Form 8 applications for corrections.

Political parties have appointed 1,814 Booth Level Agents to participate in the revision process. The National People's Party has appointed 736 BLAs, followed by the BJP with 393, the VPP with 320, the Congress with 186, the UDP with 121 and the AITC with 58.

With the claims and objections period ending on September 18, the election machinery will now focus on the remaining statutory processes leading to the Final Electoral Roll.

The Election Department has also reiterated that eligible voters whose names are left out during or after the SIR, including young and first-time voters, can apply for inclusion through continuous updating of the electoral roll.