Of the 1.22 crore electors who will receive notices in Maharashtra, 62,48,281 have been flagged for logical discrepancies and 59,75,726 are unmapped electors whose details could not be linked to previous SIR records. A hearing in progress in Odisha.
Notices to 1.22 crore electors are expected from next week. District collector Jitendra Dudi said notices will be sent from Sept 21 in the district and hearings will commence from Sept 28. The period between issuing notices and the Oct 29 deadline for disposing of cases will be challenging.
“We want one for the entire state so that people can understand the process, know what documents they need and get clarity on how to respond to the notice. Because an elector does not understand the technical or procedural requirements,” a member said, the process should not become difficult simply.
The groups said online submission through the ECI voter portal, WhatsApp or email could ease the process, but physical submission of documents through BLOs must also be made easily accessible, particularly for those facing technical glitches or unable to navigate online systems. If an elector faces a technical problem while uploading documents, they should be able to hand over the papers to the BLO and get a dated acknowledgement,” Ulka M, member of a civil rights group tracking the SIR exercise, said. People need assistance in understanding the notice, identifying the documents required and submitting them,” another group member said. Other members said safeguards would work only if voters have multiple channels of assistance and submission, including physical access to BLOs.
Pune: Civil rights groups have called for more voter assistance camps in the state, an extension of the response deadline, and a dedicated statewide helpline to help electors understand SIR notices and submit their documents. Electoral registration officers have been instructed about the process. “Online uploading is fine, but there should be a simple offline mechanism too. “There should be more camps during this period in all parts of Maharashtra , not just on designated special-camp days. The groups also want a dedicated statewide SIR helpline.
Earlier too, the collective had submitted their demands to the CEO’s office. “They have been given the discretion to select the places to hold the hearings, which will be close to voters’ residences,’’ he told TOI on Thursday.