The Election Commission of India directed a special drive to enrol eligible voters left out in Karnataka on Friday. Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said, "Booth Level Officers are to compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll." Officials will visit homes for one month to help people register.
BENGALURU: Heeding to the sustained pressure mounted on the Election Commission of India by the Congress party in Karnataka over eligible voters left out cases, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Friday stated the Election Commission of India has been compelled to direct a special drive to identify and facilitate the enrolment of eligible voters who were left out after SIR. The special drive will go on for a month and the special drive will be closely monitored by officials concerned.
Sharing the direction of the Election Commission of India, Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said as per the Election Commission of India direction, Booth Level Officers are to compare the current electoral roll with the pre-SIR roll and prepare a list of electors whose names were included earlier but are not in the current rolls. The ECI, he said, directed CEOS, DEOS and EROs to closely monitor and regularly review the progress of the special drive.
The direction of the ECI, he said, BLOs are to conduct house-to-house visits to ascertain their present status and facilitate enrolment through Form-6 wherever they are eligible. BLOs are expected to cover at least 20-25 electors a week and complete the exercise in about a month.
During the house-to-house visits by BLOs, the Chief Minister said BLOs should facilitate Form 6 applications for left-out, first-time and young electors identified and the list prepared by BLOs to be shared with BLAs of recognised political parties.
At the end of the exercise, he said, booth-wise lists to be shared with Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) with representatives of political parties, providing a further opportunity to facilitate the enrolment of eligible left-out voters.
He asked his party men, MLAs and elected representatives of his party to remain vigilant and closely monitor the special drive exercise in their respective areas and take it up with concerned authorities if they come across irregularity or eligible voters left out cases.