PTC Web Desk: The first phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Punjab's electoral rolls has been completed, with the Election Commission moving to the next stage of voter verification.

While the majority of voters have submitted their enumeration forms, nearly 20 lakh forms are still pending and around 12 lakh voters remain unmapped. The draft electoral roll will be published on August 13, after which eligible voters will get about a month to file claims, corrections and objections before the final voter list is released.

90.37% forms received, around 20 lakh still pending

Addressing the media, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Anindita Mitra said BLOs had distributed 2.61 crore enumeration forms across the state. Of these, nearly 2.41 crore forms had been received back, taking the response rate to 90.37%. However, around 20 lakh forms are yet to be submitted.

The verification exercise also revealed that 4,12,715 voters could not be traced, 5.74 lakh voters were found dead, 1,19,145 duplicate voter entries were detected and around 12 lakh voters remain unmapped. She added that citizens who want to register as new voters can now submit Form 6.

Draft voter list to be shared with political parties

The draft electoral roll, scheduled to be published on August 13, will also be shared with all recognised political parties through the CEO's office. Citizens will be able to verify their names, seek corrections or raise objections during the claims and objections period. Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) will examine every application before preparing the final electoral roll.

Booth-level camps to be organised on August 16

To make the process more convenient, the Election Commission will organise booth-level camps on August 16 for voters who are unable to visit election offices.

The CEO said awareness campaigns would also be conducted through the official website to help voters understand the verification process and complete pending formalities.

No need for unmapped voters to panic

Anindita Mitra clarified that unmapped voters did not face any immediate risk of losing their voting rights. She said voters whose records remain unmapped should submit available documents so that their records can be verified and regularised. Their names would continue to remain in the voter list during the verification process.

The CEO also said the Election Commission was making every effort to ensure that no genuine voter was left out during the Special Intensive Revision.

Verification even without documents

According to the CEO, if a voter fails to submit documents, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) concerned  would issue a notice and carry out verification. Even if a person does not possess supporting documents, their name could still be retained in the voter list if their identity and eligibility were successfully verified through the prescribed process.

- PTC NEWS

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