Ranchi: Jharkhand chief electoral officer (CEO) K Ravi Kumar directed election officials not to seek any special or additional documents from voters appearing for hearings under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, saying eligibility should be determined on the basis of documents already available and speaking orders passed as per the rules.Kumar on Saturday told officials that the objective should be to ensure that no eligible Indian citizen is left out of the electoral roll while preventing the inclusion of ineligible or foreign citizens.TOI, had on Sept 18, reported that two tribal residents of Khunti district, who did not possess an Aadhaar card or any prescribed proof of identity and address, have secured enrolment in the electoral roll through verification based on land records, khatian documents, and gram sabha testimony.Referring to cases involving voters who may not possess conventional documents, Kumar said a person born in 1934 could be verified through reverse parental linkage from children or grandchildren who are eligible Indian citizens.Addressing the issue of married women who do not have documents, the CEO said mapping for such women should be done only through their parents. Where the woman is an eligible Indian citizen, documents submitted by her parents or siblings for electoral-roll purposes can be used for verification.K Ravi Kumar further clarified that genealogy or family lists submitted at the level of a village mukhiya would not by themselves be treated as valid. Only genealogy or family lists issued by competent officials, including ‘anchal officer’, would be considered valid.Kumar directed electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) to review the work of booth level officers (BLOs) on a daily basis and help them to complete the revision within the stipulated timeframe.He ordered timely digitisation of Form-6 applications submitted by new and young eligible voters. Polling stations prepared on the basis of the nazari naksha are to be rechecked, with site inspections completed before the final polling-station format is prepared, the CEO stated.The CEO directed districts to reorganise and activate Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) at district, village, school and college levels ahead of the ELC-2.0 programme scheduled on Nov 19 and 20. The programme will focus on educating young and eligible citizens about voter registration and their right to vote.
