Election Commission cites system error after notice to ex-Navy chief Arun Prakash during Goa voter roll revision

Panaji/ New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Monday said that a notice issued to retired Admiral Arun Prakash asking him to prove his identity in person during Goa’s ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was the result of a “system-driven procedure,” according to a report by The Times of India (TOI).

An official aware of the process told TOI that Admiral Prakash and his wife have since submitted all the required documents, and the matter is expected to be resolved shortly, enabling their inclusion in the final electoral roll of the Cortalim assembly constituency.

The EC said the notice was generated after the Booth Level Officer (BLO) found that the enumeration form submitted by Prakash did not contain mandatory details from previous electoral rolls. Electoral Registration Officer Medora Ermomilla D’Costa told TOI that the form lacked particulars such as the elector’s name as per earlier rolls, EPIC number, relative’s name, assembly constituency details, and serial number.


Due to the absence of these details, the EC could not establish an automatic linkage between the form and the 2002 electoral roll, leading to Prakash and his wife being classified as “unmapped voters.” As per standard procedure, a hearing notice was automatically generated to verify eligibility, D’Costa said.

Speaking to TOI, Admiral Prakash said that while he and his wife would comply with the EC’s directions, it was logistically difficult for elderly citizens to travel long distances for hearings. He noted that the BLO had visited their residence multiple times and could have sought the additional information during those visits.

Prakash also pointed out that his name did not appear in Goa’s 2002 electoral rolls as he was posted at a naval base in another state at the time, though he has been living in Goa since 2009. He said voters should be informed about the option to upload documents on the EC website.

Admiral Prakash, a Vir Chakra awardee for his role in the 1971 Indo-Pakistan War, served as Chief of the Naval Staff from July 31, 2004, to October 31, 2006, and later held positions on the National Security Advisory Board and the National Maritime Foundation, TOI reported.

With inputs from TOI