New Delhi: The Election Commission of India has changed the dates of Special Intensive Revision of Voter List i.e. SIR in Maharashtra and Delhi on Wednesday, August 19. Due to this change, there will be a delay of about 1 month in the release of the final voter list. Now the final list of both the states will be released on November 4.
What changed in Maharashtra?
According to the new schedule of ECI, the work of rationalization and reorganization of polling stations in Maharashtra will be completed by August 24. Earlier this work was to be done by July 29. The draft voter list will now come on 31st August. Earlier it was to be released on August 5.
After the draft list comes, voters will be able to register claims and objections from August 31 to September 30. Earlier its last date was 4th September. That means people have got 26 days more time. The process of issuing notices along with disposal of claims and objections will run from August 31 to October 29.
Earlier it was scheduled from 5th August to 3rd October. The final list will now be published on November 4 instead of October 7. In Maharashtra, the work of door-to-door collection of census forms by BLOs has been completed on August 17. The Commission had already extended the time to complete it.
Schedule changed in Delhi also
In Delhi too, the final voter list will now be released on November 4 instead of October 27. Here also the draft list will come on 31st August instead of 24th August. Those whose names will not be in the draft will be able to file claims and objections between August 31 and October 29. The election officials will dispose of them within this period. In Delhi too, the door-to-door verification work under SIR has ended on August 17.
Third phase of SIR
Delhi and Maharashtra are included in the third phase of SIR. This process started on 14 May. Once the third phase is over, SIR will be completed in the entire country. Only Himachal Pradesh, Jammu-Kashmir and Ladakh are not included in it.
Why was there delay?
The objective of SIR is to update and clean the voter list through field verification on a large scale. The deadline has been changed several times in the last few weeks due to administrative and logistical reasons.
ECI says that the schedule is being changed according to the states to complete the revision process properly. Now voters will get more time to check their information and get their names added.