Following demands for extension of the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise to correct voter rolls, Centre has decided to extend it by a week. The new deadline for the revision of the voter rolls in all 12 states is now February 14.
SIR is the verification exercise that the ECI undertakes since the routine annual Summary Revision is not considered enough to remove all ineligible names from the voter rolls. The process involves removing names of voters who have died, duplication of names, and of ineligible voters. The process involves house-to-house enumeration, pre-filled forms, online submissions, and fresh verification of old voter data.
Currently, the exercise is ongoing in 12 states and Union Territories, namely, Uttar Pradesh, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, and West Bengal.
There were concerns that the time period set for the exercise to be completed was not enough and the deadline must be extended. Taking note of that, now the deadline has been extended by a week.
SIR has become a burning issue in Indian politics in the past few months after the exercise was carried out in Bihar ahead of the state elections. The opposition alleged that Election Commission is removing names of eligible voters from the list in the name of Special Intensive Revision. However, they didn’t file any official complaint in this regard, and failed to produce a single eligible voter whose name was struck off the rolls.
While the political slugfest over SIR is expected to continue, Election Commission will carry on this much overdue process to clean the voter rolls.
