SIR process commences in Puducherry

Booth-level officers distributing enumeration forms to voters as part of SIR exercise in Puducherry.
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Special Arrangement

The Election Commission of India on Tuesday commenced the month-long Special Intensive Revision as part of its exercise to clean-up electoral rolls in Puducherry, Karaikal, Mahe and Yanam regions of the Union Territory. Puducherry is among the 12 States and Union Territories included in the latest exercise after the Commission took up SIR in the State of Bihar.

“As part of the first phase of SIR in the Union Territory, the Booth Level Officers, comprising 962 government employees, started their house-to-house visits in all 30 Assembly constituencies on Tuesday for distribution of enumeration forms. The distribution of enumeration forms will continue for the next two to three days in all 962 booths in the Union Territory,” said an election official.

Each BLO will cover 250 to 300 households three times during the enumeration exercise. The house to house enumeration process will go on till December 4 and the draft electoral rolls will be published on December 9. 

On the request of the Chief Electoral Officer, Puducherry, P. Jawahar, the Department of Personnel and Administrative Reforms has issued an order divesting eight senior officers belonging to the IAS and PCS cadre of their additional charges to enable them discharge responsibilities as Electoral Registration Officer (ERO). 

The EROs, who are Sub Divisional Magistrate-level officers, will be responsible for preparation and publishing of draft and final electoral rolls. The EROs are also entrusted with the responsibility to attend claims and objections on electoral rolls.