MUMBAI: Though the Election Commission gave an assurance in a statement issued in the last week of Sept that booth-level officers (BLOs) would visit homes of those served with notices under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) instead of calling voters to BLO offices to furnish documents, several of those who have got notices in the city complained that BLOs are not making door-to-door visits.Names of 1.22 crore electors across Maharashtra were flagged in the SIR draft roll. Of these, 62.48 lakh were flagged for logical discrepancies and 59.75 lakh as unmapped.Under the revised process, BLOs are to collect supporting documents from electors at their homes and upload them on ECINET.Electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) can examine documents and clear the notice where the material establishes the elector’s eligibility. Personal hearings will be held only where seen as necessary.But many citizens, especially senior citizens, said the process hasn’t become easier.A Borivli voter who got a notice chose to not attend, believing the BLO would arrive. No one has turned up yet.
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In another case, Manmohan Bahadur, a retired air vice marshal of Indian Air Force, posted TOI’s report on the electoral office’s assurance that voters need not appear in person and that the BLO would collect documents.Bahadur wrote on X, “This is not true. I had to visit the BLO, as asked, and have been given a notice for a hearing at an appointed place where I have to produce my documents.” He urged EC to revisit its press statement.In one housing society in Deonar, 30 people have got notices.An elderly resident said, “My name was on the list, but only my initials were given, not full name. The same was the case with my son. EC notice termed it a ‘mismatch’ and asked me to visit the BLO’s office to submit documents. I went on Monday afternoon and deposited our papers. But this process is inconvenient. And why do they need more documents than what we’ve already submitted?”Some EC officials said BLOs are “fatigued with the long SIR period” and “citizens should cooperate if they sit in the society office or a nearby location instead of going door to door.” They said in many cases, “residents are not at home or don’t open the door.”Other officials said BLOs have started informing electors they need not appear for a hearing. They said electors can submit documents to the BLO, upload them online through the ECI website or send them through messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.Certain BLOs have been making a sincere effort.A BLO assigned Jogeshwari West said, “There are 102 cases of ‘anomalies’ in my jurisdiction. I visited 4 people door-to-door on Monday as old persons find it hard to travel to our camps. I know all their homes. Just 14 cases are left — the rest I have completed. Where they were not available, I have left notes and messages with their children.”Some BLOs said it is voters who fail to answer calls. Maharashtra is in Phase 3 of the SIR exercise. The final electoral roll is scheduled for publication on Nov 16.(Inputs by Nisha Nambiar in Pune)
