Jharkhand’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is seeing an uneven response, with several eligible residents yet to approach booth-level officers despite help desks, awareness meetings and voter-enrolment camps held across the state. Officials have now been directed to intensify door-to-door outreach as the Election Commission’s revised schedule extends the publication of the final electoral roll to November 30.
The revised schedule moves the deadline for disposal of notices and hearings from October 14 to October 31. Applications received after September 30 will be processed by November 23, according to officials cited in the report. The changes give election authorities more time to complete scrutiny and update the rolls before the final publication.
The response at polling locations has varied. At a polling station in Ranchi, booth-level officer Pratima Toppo said residents who had initially shown little interest were gradually beginning to recognise the importance of the exercise. “Initially, people were not taking any interest, but now they are,” she said.
Other booth-level officers reported that some eligible residents were still not coming forward to enrol. BLO Angela Minz said a section of eligible residents had yet to apply, while Maria Goretti Bara said some voters continued to collect, complete and submit Forms 6 and 8. Form 6 is used to seek inclusion as a new voter, while Form 8 is used for correction or other changes to an existing electoral-roll entry.
The exercise also exposed an information gap within the election machinery. Some BLOs were reportedly unaware of the Election Commission’s revised schedule, even as they were expected to guide voters through the enrolment process and meet the updated deadlines. The report said officials have been asked to ensure that applications are entered online in time.
The help desks and meetings between BLOs and BLA-2 representatives were organised under Election Commission directions. Chunav Pathshalas were also conducted to inform young citizens and other eligible residents about enrolment procedures and the documents required to apply.
Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar inspected help desks at polling stations in Hazaribag and Ramgarh and described the response at the camps as “fair”. North Chhotanagpur divisional commissioner Vijay Kumar Gupta also inspected booths in Ramgarh block and Chitarpur block under the Ramgarh assembly constituency.
Gupta visited booths 130, 131 and 132 in Ramgarh block, along with booths 235, 236 and 238 in Chitarpur block. After noting the low number of Form-6 applications for inclusion of new voters at some locations, he directed BLOs and supervisors to increase door-to-door contact, encourage eligible residents to submit forms and ensure prompt online entry.
The immediate administrative challenge is to convert awareness activity into completed and correctly processed applications before the revised milestones. Officials have stressed wider publicity and complete voter enrolment as the roll revision proceeds towards the November 30 publication date.
