Election Commission holds first meet amid SIR row, issues clarification over Form 6, alleged internal rift
The statement came days after reports of differences within the Election Commission over some SIR-related decisions and the functioning of ECINET.
PTC News Desk: Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi met at Nirvachan Sadan in New Delhi on Saturday and issued a statement addressing concerns over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, new voter registration and the Election Commission’s internal functioning.
The statement came days after reports of differences within the Election Commission over some SIR-related decisions and the functioning of ECINET. Sandhu and Joshi had also raised concerns in a letter to the Cabinet Secretary.
Clarification over Form 6
On Form 6, which is used to register new voters, the Election Commission said the declaration introduced during the SIR process had been upheld by the Supreme Court. It clarified that outside the SIR exercise, the regular forms prescribed under the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, would continue to be used.
The Commission also addressed the case of 97 eligible voters who were left out of the electoral roll in Goa. It said the Chief Electoral Officer had instructed Booth Level Officers to visit the voters’ homes and collect the required forms. According to the EC, 81 of the 97 voters had already submitted Form 6 for enrolment.
The Commission also discussed concerns about ECINET, particularly access to electoral-roll data. It said field-level officers have role-based access according to their legal powers. The EC has decided to review ECINET through a committee headed by a Senior Deputy Election Commissioner and including an independent expert from an IIT or IIIT.
The Commission also said any additional access or flexibility required by field officers would be made available. Going forward, new IT initiatives and portals will first be examined by a committee of officers before being placed before the full Commission for approval.
The Election Commission further clarified the issue raised by Sandhu and Joshi in their letter to the Cabinet Secretary. It said the matter was related to the functioning of an officer and was not connected to any policy of the Commission or its IT division.
The EC's latest statement comes amid wider public and political scrutiny of the SIR process and ECINET. Recent reporting had highlighted concerns raised by Sandhu and Joshi over the centralisation of electoral-roll systems and changes related to Form 6.