Nagpur: The district election office has launched voter mapping, verification, photo correction, and deletion of duplicate or deceased names from electoral rolls ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR), in line with directives of the Election Commission of India. The district collector on Tuesday set a 10-day deadline for booth-level officers (BLOs) to complete the exercise by March 28 and submit daily progress reports.As of October 15, 2024, Nagpur district has 44,94,787 voters, including 21,28,789 in urban areas and 23,65,998 in rural regions. The SIR is expected to begin in April, though voter mapping has been underway for over a month.The lack of a formal announcement and limited public awareness has raised concerns about possible exclusion of eligible voters or a last-minute rush for documentation. Under the exercise, voters must submit details from the 2002 electoral rolls along with their EPIC number based on the 2024 rolls. Those not listed in the 2002 rolls must furnish proof of identity or any of the 13 documents prescribed by the ECI.Once mapping is completed, a door-to-door verification drive will follow. Deputy district election officer Rachana Indurkar said progress has been uneven, ranging from 15% to 60%, compared to 80–90% in other districts. She stressed the need to accelerate fieldwork.Indurkar said that after the official rollout in April, the survey will validate eligible voters and remove ineligible entries.Concerns have also been raised over preparedness. Corporator Wasim Khan said inadequate training and low awareness have led to poor cooperation from citizens and inconsistent fieldwork. He added that awareness camps would be organised to improve participation and alleged that some BLOs were not serious and unfamiliar with the process and the app.Former standing committee chairman Pintu Vijay Zalke said the exercise is yet to be formally announced and is likely to gain momentum in April.Indurkar, however, maintained that training had been conducted, with assistant returning officers trained in Madhya Pradesh and BLOs trained locally. She noted that reluctance among BLOs, many of whom are teachers, has also slowed progress. The chief electoral officer is scheduled to visit on Wednesday to review and expedite the exercise.INFOGFX: SIR Drive — Key DetailsWhat is happening?A Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is being undertaken in Maharashtra based on October 2024 data, with focus on verification against 2002 rolls likely from April.Before SIR:Voter mapping: Identification and validation of voters in electoral rollsPhoto correction: Replacement of blurred images with updated colour photographsDSE verification: Checking demographically similar entries and initiating legal action where requiredHow SIR works:Enumeration forms will be taken door-to-door, filled by voters, and updated in records. The process helps identify shifted voters, duplicate names, and non-existent entries for correction.Where in Nagpur?Applies to all polling stations across Katol (48), Saoner (49), Hingna (50), Umred (51), Nagpur South West (52), Nagpur South (53), Nagpur East (54), Nagpur Central (55), Nagpur West (56), Nagpur North (SC) (57), Kamthi (58), Ramtek (59)Who will do it?Booth Level Officers (BLOs)BLO SupervisorsTimeline for mapping:March 18 to March 28, 2026
