Electoral Roll Revision Underway in Jharkhand
Since June 30, Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter registrations has been sweeping through Jharkhand. All 29,571 polling booths are part of it. Already 82% of 2.64 crore eligible voters are accounted for,thanks to 31,892 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) on ground .
K. Ravi Kumar,Jharkhand's Chief Electoral Officer, recently spoke. He insisted transparency isn't issue. He emphasized following Election Commission guidelines,countering misinformation. "Jharkhand is not a challenge," he said. Officials well-trained for this.
Some political leaders worry SIR might infringe on constitutional rights. But Kumar argued it's about protecting those rights. Only Indian citizens 18 and older in Jharkhand can vote, as per Article 326. Kumar vowed to uphold voter rights during revision.
Minority communities fear exclusions from rolls. Kumar explained SIR's goal is accurate voter data. Inaccuracies crept in over time . Names meeting five criteria—Absent,Permanently Shifted, Deceased, Duplicate,Non-Indian—will be removed from lists.
Only Indian citizens, Kumar stressed, can register as voters. Forms are for citizens only. Non-citizens should leave forms unsigned. "Only names fitting these five categories will be omitted; all other voters stay on rolls," he said.
To boost transparency,Kumar outlined measures for SIR. Political parties involved at booth level Lists of voters for removal will be at polling stations,local offices, also online at Chief Electoral Officer and District Election Officer sites.
Political parties with affected members will get printed lists,can contest decisions . Final lists will allow public objections,keeping process open to scrutiny .
Opposition figures worry about unauthorized individuals in places like Santhal Pargana. Kumar reiterated SIR targets only Indian citizens. No foreign nationals in electoral process. False information is serious offense,he warned.
Indian citizens abroad can register under Section 2A of Representation of the People Act,1950 . Forms can be submitted electronically with passport info. Family in India can sign. It's a move to include Jharkhand's migrant workers in voting…






