A day after it came to light that two of the three election commissioners had objected to the centralisation of electoral roll databases and the role of the EC’s IT division, Maharashtra chief electoral officer S Chockalingam wrote to the EC on September 24, seeking four changes in the ECINet software for the notice phase of the SIR exercise currently underway in the state.
The demands include greater discretion for Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) to decide cases involving ‘logical discrepancies’ or anomalies after conducting hearings. The term refers to discrepancies flagged by the ECINet software which are, however, essentially data mismatches which EROs, generally deputy collector-level officers responsible for electoral rolls, can hear.
The Maharashtra CEO has also sought flexibility to allow EROs to exempt an elector from a personal hearing if they are satisfied with the documents submitted.
Following a full Commission meeting on September 26, the EC partially addressed Maharashtra’s concerns by allowing EROs to exempt people flagged for ‘logical discrepancies’ and to exempt voters from personal hearings when they are satisfied with the documents submitted.
The CEO has also requested the exemption from personal hearings for certain categories including senior citizens, persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
The letter has also said that the option ‘exempted from hearing’ should be provided. “Where an elector submits valid and satisfactory documents in response to the notice, the ERO may have the option to exempt such electors from personal hearing,” it said. “Only cases where the documents submitted are insufficient, unsatisfactory or not furnished may be taken up for personal hearing.”
