Pioneer News Service
Ranchi
Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar stated that the enumeration phase of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) program for the electoral roll is currently underway in the state. He emphasized that the objective of this process is to ensure that every eligible Indian citizen currently on the electoral roll is included in the new roll through the SIR.
Kumar clarified that, at this stage, it is not possible to specify the percentage of voters whose forms contain logical discrepancies.
The CEO dismissed as completely false and misleading a claim circulated on social media by the “Jharkhand Janadhikar Mahasabha,” which alleged that 30 per cent of voters at every booth in tribal areas were on the list of logical discrepancies and raised fears that the names of lakhs of tribals would be deleted. He appealed to all concerned parties not to propagate such misinformation.
Kumar stated that identifying and resolving logical discrepancies during the SIR is part of the routine process to make the electoral roll accurate and error-free. “Under this process, clerical errors regarding a voter’s age, name, or details of parents or spouse will be identified and verified with the voter concerned. If necessary, the Electoral Registration Officer ( ERO) or Assistant Electoral Registration Officer (AERO) will issue notices and rectify errors based on required documents. He reiterated that the sole objective is to ensure correct and authentic details in the final electoral roll.
The CEO said that for voters belonging to Particularly Vulnerable Tribal Groups (PVTGs) and other tribal communities—where logical discrepancies are found or mapping cannot be completed—registration in the electoral roll will be ensured through all possible assistance from AEROs, EROs, and District Election Officers.
Kumar further said that this assistance will be based on land records (*khatiyan*), genealogies, and other documents available at *Anchal* (block/circle) offices. He noted that the necessary records for these communities are available in government offices in Jharkhand, so there is no need to be swayed by misleading information or propaganda.
Kumar affirmed that the Election Commission is committed to ensuring that the name of every eligible Indian citizen is included in the electoral roll. Special volunteers have been deployed at all polling stations across the state to assist elderly voters, persons with disabilities, and voters from remote areas. These volunteers are helping with the filling of enumeration forms and will also assist in providing necessary documents, if required, after the publication of the draft electoral roll.
