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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;The proposal could particularly help senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other voters who may face difficulties attending hearings in person.<h2>Greater flexibility over documents</h2>Chockalingam has also sought clarity and flexibility on the documents that can be accepted during the verification process.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;The move is significant because voters may not always possess documents specified in the standard list, particularly in cases involving older electoral records.<h2>Local officers may get more decision-making powers</h2>Another proposal seeks to empower EROs to dispose of certain cases involving logical discrepancies when the evidence provided by the voter is found satisfactory.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/j-k-assembly-withdraws-bills-on-mlas-salaries-and-allowances-passes-pension-amendment-1790677215182">J&amp;K assembly withdraws bills on MLAs’ salaries and allowances, passes pension amendment</a><h2>Demand for clear guidelines</h2>The Maharashtra CEO has also sought detailed written instructions and FAQs for EROs handling the exercise.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;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.&nbsp;

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. 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. Also Read: J&K assembly withdraws bills on MLAs’ salaries and allowances, passes pension amendment 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.

Maharashtra CEO S Chockalingam has sought greater discretion for EROs during SIR, including waiving hearings and accepting additional documents when voters provide satisfactory evidence.

SIR in Maharashtra: Poll chief seeks more discretion for local election officers

Maharashtra’s electoral roll revision has raised concerns after more than&nbsp;2.07 crore enumeration forms remained uncollected&nbsp;during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The figure accounts for more than one-fifth of Maharashtra’s nearly&nbsp;9.8 crore registered voters, putting the spotlight on the scale of the verification exercise ahead of the publication of the draft electoral roll.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/entertainment/bollywood/maharashtra-fda-issues-notices-to-shah-rukh-khan-ajay-devgn-tiger-shroff-over-vimal-elaichi-ad-1786864643953">Maharashtra FDA issues notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff over Vimal Elaichi ad</a>&nbsp;The Election Commission’s SIR exercise involves door-to-door verification of voters through Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The exercise is aimed at updating the electoral rolls and identifying entries that may require verification, including voters who have shifted residence, are deceased, are unavailable during verification or have duplicate entries.<h3>Mumbai, Thane and Pune account for nearly half</h3>The largest concentration of uncollected forms is in Maharashtra’s major urban centres. Thane, Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban and Pune together account for 94.47 lakh uncollected forms — around 45.4 per cent of the state’s total. The numbers are particularly significant because these districts include some of Maharashtra’s most densely populated and highly mobile urban areas, where migration and changes of residence can make voter verification more challenging.Mumbai alone had around 30 lakh voters reported as untraced&nbsp;earlier during the SIR exercise.&nbsp;Also Read: <a href="https://www.wionews.com/india-news/nashik-earthquake-fresh-tremors-strike-again-as-seismic-activity-continues-in-maharashtra-1786700599775">Nashik earthquake: Fresh tremors strike again as seismic activity continues in Maharashtra</a>&nbsp;The situation is not limited to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In Nagpur district, around 13.36 lakh voters&nbsp;were in the uncollectable category. Across the wider Nagpur division, the figure stood at around&nbsp;34.96 lakh voters. The term “uncollectable” does not automatically mean that these voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls. Election authorities are required to follow the prescribed verification process, while eligible voters will have an opportunity to raise claims and objections if their names are missing from the draft roll.<h3>MAHARASHTRA SIR</h3>2.07 CRORE Enumeration Forms Uncollected94.47 LAKH Thane + Mumbai City + Mumbai Suburban + Pune45.4% Share of Total Uncollected Forms~30 LAKH Untraced Voters in Mumbai13.36 LAKH Uncollectable Voters in Nagpur District34.96 LAKH Uncollectable Voters in Nagpur Division<h3>What happens next?</h3>The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on August 24. This will be followed by a claims and objections period, allowing voters to check their names and details and approach election officials if they believe they have been wrongly excluded or if corrections are required.The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on October 27.The scale of the uncollected forms has now made the next stage of the exercise particularly important. While the Election Commission seeks to clean up electoral rolls by identifying outdated, duplicate or incorrect entries, the process will also have to ensure that eligible voters are not inadvertently left out.For Maharashtra, the concentration of nearly half of the uncollected forms in Thane, Mumbai and Pune&nbsp;makes urban voter verification one of the key challenges in the ongoing electoral roll revision.

More than 2.07 crore enumeration forms remained uncollected during Maharashtra’s SIR exercise, covering over one-fifth of registered voters. Thane, Mumbai and Pune account for 94.47 lakh cases. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 24, followed by claims and objections.

Maharashtra’s electoral roll revision has raised concerns after more than 2.07 crore enumeration forms remained uncollected during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise. The figure accounts for more than one-fifth of Maharashtra’s nearly 9.8 crore registered voters, putting the spotlight on the scale of the verification exercise ahead of the publication of the draft electoral roll. Also Read: Maharashtra FDA issues notices to Shah Rukh Khan, Ajay Devgn, Tiger Shroff over Vimal Elaichi ad The Election Commission’s SIR exercise involves door-to-door verification of voters through Booth Level Officers (BLOs). The exercise is aimed at updating the electoral rolls and identifying entries that may require verification, including voters who have shifted residence, are deceased, are unavailable during verification or have duplicate entries. Mumbai, Thane and Pune account for nearly half The largest concentration of uncollected forms is in Maharashtra’s major urban centres. Thane, Mumbai City, Mumbai Suburban and Pune together account for 94.47 lakh uncollected forms — around 45.4 per cent of the state’s total. The numbers are particularly significant because these districts include some of Maharashtra’s most densely populated and highly mobile urban areas, where migration and changes of residence can make voter verification more challenging. Mumbai alone had around 30 lakh voters reported as untraced earlier during the SIR exercise. Also Read: Nashik earthquake: Fresh tremors strike again as seismic activity continues in Maharashtra The situation is not limited to the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. In Nagpur district, around 13.36 lakh voters were in the uncollectable category. Across the wider Nagpur division, the figure stood at around 34.96 lakh voters. The term “uncollectable” does not automatically mean that these voters have been deleted from the electoral rolls. Election authorities are required to follow the prescribed verification process, while eligible voters will have an opportunity to raise claims and objections if their names are missing from the draft roll. MAHARASHTRA SIR 2.07 CRORE Enumeration Forms Uncollected 94.47 LAKH Thane + Mumbai City + Mumbai Suburban + Pune 45.4% Share of Total Uncollected Forms ~30 LAKH Untraced Voters in Mumbai 13.36 LAKH Uncollectable Voters in Nagpur District 34.96 LAKH Uncollectable Voters in Nagpur Division What happens next? The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on August 24. This will be followed by a claims and objections period, allowing voters to check their names and details and approach election officials if they believe they have been wrongly excluded or if corrections are required. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on October 27. The scale of the uncollected forms has now made the next stage of the exercise particularly important. While the Election Commission seeks to clean up electoral rolls by identifying outdated, duplicate or incorrect entries, the process will also have to ensure that eligible voters are not inadvertently left out. For Maharashtra, the concentration of nearly half of the uncollected forms in Thane, Mumbai and Pune makes urban voter verification one of the key challenges in the ongoing electoral roll revision.

More than 2.07 crore enumeration forms remained uncollected during Maharashtra’s SIR exercise, covering over one-fifth of registered voters. Thane, Mumbai and Pune account for 94.47 lakh cases. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 24, followed by claims and objections.

Maharashtra SIR: Over 2 crore voter enumeration forms remain uncollected

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SIR in Maharashtra: Poll chief seeks more discretion for local election officers

Maharashtra SIR: Over 2 Crore Voter Enumeration Forms Remain Uncollected