Meghalaya SIR: East Khasi Hills administration urges voters not to fear exercise

Shillong, June 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The district administration in Meghalaya's East Khasi Hills on Monday announced that a month-long house-to-house verification drive under the Election Commission of India's (ECI) Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll will commence from June 30, with Deputy Commissioner Abhilash Barnwal urging citizens to participate in the exercise without fear.

Addressing the media here, Barnwal said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will visit all 1,021 polling stations across the district to distribute pre-filled self-enumeration forms to voters whose names figure in the 2025 electoral roll.

The final revised electoral roll is scheduled to be published on October 7.

The Deputy Commissioner clarified that voters will not be required to submit any supporting documents during the initial enumeration process.

"Electors are only required to submit their duly filled self-enumeration forms. That is all that is needed at the enumeration stage. We expect an overwhelming majority of electors will be covered through the forms alone," Barnwal said.

He said that only a limited number of cases may require additional clarification, following which voters would be given adequate time to furnish supporting documents, if necessary.

Seeking to allay public concerns over the exercise, the Deputy Commissioner said BLOs have been instructed to accept all forms of supporting documents and not restrict themselves to the Election Commission's indicative list of 11 documents.

"Whether it is a church certificate or a headman's certificate, every document will be accepted. The Electoral Registration Officer will take a decision after considering the overall merits of each case," he said.

Barnwal stressed that the revision exercise is aimed at ensuring a fair, transparent and inclusive electoral roll rather than excluding eligible voters. Appealing for public cooperation, he urged citizens not to be intimidated by the process.

"Please don't fear. The administration is ready to walk hand-in-hand with you. We would be absolutely okay if you ask us the same question a hundred times, but we would not want to miss any eligible elector," he said.

The Deputy Commissioner reiterated that the objective of the Special Intensive Revision is "to include and not to exclude" while preparing a clean, accurate and error-free electoral roll. He added that voters can also seek assistance through the Election Commission's designated helplines and online platforms during the revision process.

Source: IANS