SIR in 12 states/UTs: Enumeration form collection ‘much less’ in urban areas

The collection of enumeration forms from electors in urban areas was “much less” as compared to rural areas in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters’ list in nine states and three Union territories, EC officials said on Friday citing available trends.

They said the most likely reason for electors not returning filled up enumeration forms was that electors were not available at home due to work or professional commitments. Constant migration was seen as another reason behind the lower form collection.

In rural areas, the enumeration form collection by booth-level officials was much higher compared to urban areas.

Lucknow, Kanpur, Noida were among the cities that saw “much less" form collection, officials said quoting available trends from states where SIR is in progress.

They said a similar trend was seen in cities, including Patna, when the voters’ clean up exercise took place in Bihar last year.

Phase II of SIR began in Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Lakshadweep, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh and West Bengal on November 4.

Except for Uttar Pradesh, draft electoral rolls have been published in all other states and UTs.

In Assam, a separate ‘special revision’ of electoral rolls is in progress.

The last SIR in states will serve as the cut-off date, just as the 2003 voter list of Bihar was used by the EC for intensive revision.

Most states had the last SIR of the voter list between 2002 and 2004, and they have nearly completed the mapping of current electors, according to the last SIR held in their respective states.

The primary aim of the SIR is to weed out foreign illegal migrants by checking their place of birth. The move assumes significance in the wake of a crackdown in various states on illegal migrants, including those from Bangladesh and Myanmar.