SIR drive to begin from June 30; Political parties urged to ensure public participation

Kumar Prabhat 

Dumka

In preparation for upcoming electoral processes, the district election machinery has initiated measures to ensure an accurate and updated electoral roll through the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme.

The initiative, being undertaken as per the directives of the Election Commission of India, aims to update and purify voter lists by ensuring that all eligible citizens are included while removing discrepancies. The programme was discussed during a coordination meeting attended by representatives of recognized political parties and election officials.

As part of the exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will undertake a district-wide door-to-door enumeration campaign beginning June 30, 2026. During the campaign, BLOs will distribute enumeration forms, collect demographic details and obtain supporting documents from residents to facilitate the revision of electoral rolls.

Election officials emphasized that the objective of the exercise is to achieve maximum accuracy in the voter list and ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of the right to vote. Political parties were urged to utilize their grassroots networks to spread awareness about the programme and encourage citizens to participate actively by keeping the required documents ready.

Officials noted that a clean and updated voter list is fundamental to a strong democratic process and that cooperation among the administration, political parties and the public will be critical to the success of the revision exercise.

Meanwhile, as part of routine election preparedness measures, a quarterly inspection of the Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) warehouse was also conducted in the presence of representatives of recognized political parties.

During the inspection, election authorities reviewed security arrangements, CCTV surveillance systems and maintenance records related to the storage of EVMs. Officials reiterated the need for strict adherence to Election Commission guidelines governing the security and upkeep of voting equipment.

Representatives of political parties who attended the inspection were briefed on the security protocols in place and expressed satisfaction over the arrangements, which were found to be in accordance with prescribed election standards.