Unanimous on SIR, EC eases voter hearings, enrolment

New Delhi: The three-member Election Commission on Saturday 'unanimously' endorsed its decisions on nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR), while agreeing to additional measures to minimise inconvenience to citizens, launch 'immediate' drives to register younger voters and complete pending Annual Confidential Reports (ACRs) of officials by December 31.

To minimise voter/citizen inconvenience, the full Commission agreed that in cases of persons with 'unmapped and logical discrepancies', Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will personally visit their homes and collect the required documents. Such persons will no longer be called for hearings at the ERO/AERO office except in 'exceptional circumstances', as decided by the ERO. The hearing will preferably be held online. Further, any adult member of the family may be authorised by the elector to attend the hearing on their behalf, if required.

To further ease the online hearing process, DEOs (District Election Officers) will create adequate numbers of help desks and hold special camps, especially for people living in night shelters, labourers, poor people, homeless people and others, the ECI decided at its meeting.


Also Read | SIR controversy: EC says agendas will be shared ahead of meetings, minutes to be issued

Amid complaints over the ECINET website, the poll panel, in a consensus decision, decided that a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner (DEC), including an independent expert from IIT/IIIT, will review ECINET to double-check that it complies with the provisions of the Acts and Rules and submit a report to the Commission.

Any flexibility or upgradation required, as suggested by field officers, will be added, and all new initiatives relating to IT modules and portals will be discussed in the Committee of Officers (COO) before approval by the Commission, the ECI statement said.

Also Read | Modi, Shah made Gyanesh Kumar in charge of 'match-fixing' India's polls, alleges Rahul Gandhi

On Form 6, used for inclusion of new voters, the ECI held that the older format, without the SIR declaration form seeking parental linkage, will be applicable during the 'non-SIR' period.