SIR in Maharashtra: Poll chief seeks more discretion for local election officers
&imwidth=600&imheight=450&format=webp&quality=medium "SIR in Maharashtra: Poll chief seeks more discretion for local election officers")
Police personnel stand guard outside the Election Commission of India in view of the protest against Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, in New Delhi on Sep 25. Photograph: (ANI)
Maharashtra CEO S Chockalingam has sought greater discretion for EROs during SIR, including waiving hearings and accepting additional documents when voters provide satisfactory evidence.
Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam has approached the Election Commission seeking greater discretion for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) dealing with cases during the notice stage of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The request is aimed at giving local election officials more flexibility while examining voter records and documents, particularly in cases where officials are satisfied with the explanation and supporting evidence submitted by an elector.
One of the key proposals is to introduce an “Exempted from Hearing” option on the ECINET platform. This would allow EROs to waive a personal hearing when they find that the documents submitted by a voter are sufficient.
The proposal could particularly help senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other voters who may face difficulties attending hearings in person.
Greater flexibility over documents
Chockalingam has also sought clarity and flexibility on the documents that can be accepted during the verification process.
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The Maharashtra CEO has pointed out that the documents listed in the notice should not necessarily be treated as an exhaustive list. EROs could be permitted to consider other relevant documents if they are satisfied about their authenticity and relevance.
The move is significant because voters may not always possess documents specified in the standard list, particularly in cases involving older electoral records.
Local officers may get more decision-making powers
Another proposal seeks to empower EROs to dispose of certain cases involving logical discrepancies when the evidence provided by the voter is found satisfactory.
At present, such cases may require additional verification or escalation. Greater discretion at the ERO level could allow straightforward cases to be resolved locally and potentially reduce the administrative burden on the election machinery.
Chockalingam has also raised a technical issue concerning ECINET. He has proposed that uploading extracts from previous SIR electoral rolls should not be mandatory in every case where a discrepancy has already been established through the system.
Demand for clear guidelines
The Maharashtra CEO has also sought detailed written instructions and FAQs for EROs handling the exercise.
The request comes amid a large-scale verification process in the state, with election officials dealing with a significant number of voter records requiring clarification or documentation.
The proposed changes are essentially aimed at giving field-level officers greater operational flexibility while ensuring that voters are not subjected to unnecessary hearings or procedural hurdles when their records and documents can be verified satisfactorily.
The Election Commission will take a final view on the proposals and determine whether the requested changes to the SIR process and ECINET system are to be implemented in Maharashtra.
