SHILLONG: The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Meghalaya, Dr. BDR Tiwari, has announced that the state election machinery is fully prepared to implement the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls as per the schedule to be mandated by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
While addressing the media, Tiwari noted that this comprehensive verification process has already been successfully conducted in other states like Bihar and across 12 specific districts, involving a thorough door-to-door survey and authentication of the entire voter list.
Explaining the legal framework of the exercise, the CEO clarified that according to the Citizenship Act, the primary deadline is July 1, 1987.
Any individual born in India before this date is recognized as an Indian citizen by birth. Additionally, since a previous SIR exercise was conducted in Meghalaya, the cut-off date of December 2004 will also be utilized as a reference point for the verification of existing voters.
The process involves establishing a clear lineage, where applicants must prove their connection to parents or grandparents whose names are already listed in the electoral rolls, supported by identity certificates and documents approved by the ECI.
Tiwari emphasized that the SIR is a mandatory and routine exercise that has been conducted nationwide on several occasions.
He assured that all election functionaries, including Booth Level Officers (BLOs), supervisors, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), are ready to commence work once the official schedule is released.
However, he expressed a need for more proactive participation from political parties in Meghalaya regarding the appointment of Booth Level Agents (BLAs).
While this is common practice in other states, he noted that the response in Meghalaya has been less active, which he attributed to the high level of confidence and trust that local political parties place in the transparency of the state’s election machinery.
The CEO further shared that a preliminary “table-top” exercise conducted on the current voter list has already shown a high success rate, with approximately 80% of names being successfully verified.
He reaffirmed that the upcoming intensive revision, including the house-to-house survey, will be conducted in a strictly transparent and fair manner in accordance with the law, ensuring an accurate and reliable electoral roll for the state.
