Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam
Pune: More than 1.22 crore unmapped voters and those with legal anomalies across the state will receive notices from the electoral department next week. Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam explains the process and what voters must follow to keep their names in the electoral roll. Q. What is the purpose of sending a notice to a voter? State CEO S Chockalingam (SC): It is a verification exercise. One or more applicable anomalies or non-mapping will be clearly mentioned in the notice, which has the list of permitted documents a voter must produce. Any equivalent document, including those explaining the discrepancy, can be submitted. Q. What does a voter do after receiving a notice? What documents are needed, and will they have to attend a hearing in person? SC: A voter has to provide documents relevant to the anomaly or one of the listed or equivalent papers. Citizens would ordinarily possess these. If the ERO/AERO needs any clarification, he can insist on a personal hearing. Q. How will the process work for senior citizens, persons with disabilities, seriously ill voters and pregnant women? SC: BLOs can collect documents from people who fall into these groups from their homes. Anyone who wants an exemption from a hearing may request one in the acknowledgement at the time the notice is served or give the document to the BLO along with a request to be exempt from a personal hearing. But the ERO will decide. Q. Can voters respond to a hearing through a messaging platform or online? SC: They can send it to the BLO through a messaging platform. ECINET has the facility to upload the document related to the notice. An elector must log in to the portal and upload the documents. Q. What if a notice does not reach the voter?
That is how nearly 5.5 crore electors need not submit any documents now. SC: Most are related to names and ages. All anomalies are generated by the software module at the ECI level. Q. Will the EC publish details of notices, hearings and their outcomes? Will voters be able to track their own cases? SC: The number of notices that would be issued is already in the public domain. Once the hearing progresses, the rest of the relevant information would be given. Q. If a voter has a valid EPIC, has voted in previous elections and continues to live at the same address, why must the voter establish eligibility again? SC: The current SIR verifies the citizenship status of the elector. Hence, the additional process. Previous electoral roll records have been used for verification. Q. How will the EC handle changes in surname, address or relative’s name after marriage?
There are 59.75 lakh unmapped voters. What are the main issues for 62.48 lakh voters flagged for anomalies? Is the hearing deadline by Oct 29 realistic? SC: It can be completed as we have more than 7,000 AEROs. What happens to first-time voters, especially 18-year-olds?
Mapping is a facility so that no further documentation is required. You Can Also Check: Gold Rate in Pune | Silver Rate in Pune | Bank Holidays in Pune | Public Holidays in Pune | Petrol Price in Pune | Diesel Price in Pune | CNG Price in Pune | LPG Price in Pune Stay updated with the latest Pune news.
Will the voter be told the reason for rejection or deletion and allowed to appeal? SC: The notice will be served at the residence of the elector. As the address information has been verified recently, the possibility of a notice not reaching the voter is minimal. Acknowledgement by the elector or any other adult member of the family is acceptable. However, if the elector or any other responsible person is not available to receive the notice, standard protocols for serving a notice would be followed. Q. What about voters who have temporarily shifted, work outside the city, are tenants or have an incomplete address? SC: Submission of documents to retain the name in the roll is necessary. Q. SC: The voter will be given the reason. He can request more time. Likewise, if the person feels that the rejection is for want of proper documentation, he can apply afresh once the document is received. Q. What do they have to establish? SC: As electors were unable to give any reference to the electoral roll of previous SIR, related information must be provided by the elector. If mapping is not possible for any reason, the elector can provide any one of the permitted documents. The intention is to check the nationality. Most mapping is done by the BLOs themselves. Q. SC: Any documentary proof related to marriage can be given. If it is not available, a panchnama from responsible persons would do. Q. Adequate arrangements have been made to handle the load. Q. SC: They can apply now during the claims and objections period and establish their linkage with their parents or grandparents. Alternatively, they can provide one of the documents listed or its equivalent. Q. What is the appeal mechanism? SC: The grounds for rejection would be made available. People can appeal to the district magistrate if they are not satisfied with the ERO’s decision. However, if they feel that the ERO’s order is correct, based on the documentation available at the time of the decision, and if they have got any new proof or documentation, they can apply afresh. Download the TOI App.
However, the person is free to submit alternate documents before the ERO decides if a particular document is not acceptable.