“Hearing for the third phase of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls will be conducted between September 20 and October 29 for 8.65 lakh voters in Nagpur district whose records remain unmapped or have been flagged for anomalies,” said Kumar Ashirwad, District Collector and District Election Officer, at a press conference held at the Collectorate on Saturday. Anup Khande, Resident Deputy Collector; and Dr Rachna Indurkar, Deputy District Election Officer, were also present for the press conference. Ashirwad, in his address, said 507 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) have been appointed to conduct the hearings across the district. The hearings form a crucial stage of the revision exercise ahead of publication of the final electoral roll on November 4. 4.18 lakh unmapped, 4.47 lakh flagged for anomalies: According to the district administration data, 4,18,012 voters could not be mapped during the verification process, while 4,47,874 electors have been flagged for anomalies by the Election Commission’s software, taking the total number of cases requiring scrutiny to 8,65,886. Ashirwad explained that voters linked with six or more individuals during the mapping process have been marked as anomaly cases. Married women whose names have changed after marriage have also been flagged in several instances due to mismatches with earlier electoral records.

 

Affected voters will receive notices specifying the date, time and venue of their hearings. During the proceedings, they will be required to submit supporting documents to establish the correctness of their details and secure inclusion in the final electoral roll. The Collector appealed to all concerned electors to attend the hearings and cooperate with election authorities. BLO verification may eliminate need for hearing: In a move aimed at reducing the burden on voters, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been instructed to submit verification reports along with copies of supporting documents to EROs in cases where voters have already been physically verified. Officials said such verification could eliminate the need for a personal hearing before election authorities in many cases. The administration is also exploring multiple modes of communication, including physical notices and digital notices through platforms such as WhatsApp, to expedite the process.

 

Video conferencing and video-call hearings may also be permitted in appropriate cases. Ashirwad said voters may submit any one of the 13 documents prescribed by the Election Commission during the hearing process. The outcome of each case is expected to be communicated within seven days. Electors dissatisfied with the decision will have the right to appeal before the District Election Officer and subsequently before the Chief Electoral Officer. Voters who had submitted Enumeration Forms but whose names do not appear in the draft electoral roll can seek inclusion by submitting Form 6 along with the requisite documents between August 31 and September 29. Eligible applicants will be considered for inclusion in the final electoral roll scheduled for publication on November 4.