Bihar launches 1st electoral roll revision in 22 years

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has initiated a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar on Wednesday for the first time since 2003 to ensure error-free voter lists, with special focus on enrolling all eligible citizens, deleting ineligible entries, and enhancing transparency in the electoral process.

A significant inclusion in the entire exercise is that all existing electors who were not on the rolls in 2003 will again have to give proof of their eligibility as voters.

For this purpose, an enumeration form will require such electors who were born before July 1, 1987 to provide proof of their date or place of birth.

Also those born between July 1, 1987 and December 2, 2004, either a date of birth or place of birth proof will be needed of either mother or father. For those born after December 2, 2004, date of birth or place of birth proof of both mother and father will be needed.

These categories have been created as per the provisions of the Citizenship Act 1955.

As per the poll panel’s directions, the process of electoral rolls revision will start from June 25, and end with the publication of draft rolls on August 1.

After that a month will be given to voters to file claims and objections till September 1. The final electoral rolls will be published on September 30.

The electors will also have to submit a pre-filled form with required documents with either the booth level officer or it can also be uploaded on the ECI app.

The poll body in a statement issued on Tuesday said that various reasons, including “rapid urbanisation, frequent migration, young citizens becoming eligible to vote, non-reporting of deaths, and the inclusion of foreign illegal immigrants have necessitated the conduct of an intensive revision”.

The elections in Bihar are expected to be held by the end of the year as the term of the state assembly ends in November.

For the drive, the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door surveys for verification during the process. “The objective of an intensified revision is to ensure that the names of all eligible citizens are included in the Electoral Roll so as to enable them to exercise their franchise, and no ineligible voter is included in the electoral rolls and also to introduce complete transparency in the process of addition or deletion of electors in the electoral rolls,” the statement said further.

In case of any claims and objections raised by any political party or an elector, the poll body official will inquire into the same before satisfaction is arrived at. If there are further issues, an appeal against the order can also be made to the District Magistrate and the Chief Electoral Officer.

The poll body has directed that economically weaker and other vulnerable groups, including the elderly, sick, and Persons with Disabilities (PwD), should not be harassed and are facilitated to the extent possible, including through deployment of volunteers to take care of genuine electors.

India