SIR: Draft rolls for 5 states, UTs due today; deletions pegged at 7.5–8.5%

New Delhi: The draught electoral rolls for 5 states/Union territories - West Bengal, Rajasthan, Goa, Puducherry and Lakshadweep - undergoing signifier 2 of peculiar intensive revision (SIR) are acceptable to beryllium published Tuesday, with sources indicating apt deletions successful the scope of 7.5-8.5% for each but Lakshadweep, wherever they whitethorn beryllium hardly 2.5%.While West Bengal appears acceptable to person astir 58 lakh electors removed connected relationship of being dead, permanently shifted, untraceable oregon registered astatine aggregate places, sources said the fig of notices apt to beryllium issued to electors recovered to person submitted their enumeration signifier with discrepancies, including not specifying their nexus to the electoral rotation from the past SIR, "may beryllium far, acold much than 58 lakh". These discrepancies, by present assessed by booth level officers, are connected relationship of the alteration successful SIR regularisation that did distant with the request for the elector to taxable documentation astatine the enumeration stage, to found their eligibility for enrolment.Depending connected however galore of those issued notices tin fulfill electoral registration officers of their eligibility with requisite documentation proving their citizenship, the EC volition scope the eventual fig of electors to beryllium excluded from the last roll. Sources said the fig of dead, shifted, duplicate and untraceable electors identified for deletion successful Goa, with a full electorate of 11.8 lakh, whitethorn beryllium astir a lakh (around 8.5%).

In Rajasthan again, 7.5-8% of the full 5.46 crore electors whitethorn beryllium removed. Lakshadweep volition spot the lowest percent of electors (2.5% of its 57,813 electorate) being struck disconnected the roll.Officials said the ample fig of entries of dead, duplicate and shifted voters could beryllium owed to a 2010 amendment successful Representation of the People Act, which disallowed immoderate amendment oregon deletion of a rotation introduction without due verification. Though the mode of this verification was to beryllium prescribed successful the pursuing rules, this was ne'er done. "This is wherefore the dead, shifted and aggregate entries person remained successful the roll, creating scope for bogus voting," said an official.EC sources told TOI erstwhile the draught rotation is published, each collector volition stock its printed and brushed transcript with the district-level functionaries of parties. The draught rotation volition besides beryllium uploaded connected the territory predetermination officer's website.