Why Has The Election Commission Extended The SIR Voter List Deadline? Check Revised Schedule, As Last Day To Fill Form Is…

The Election Commission has extended the deadline for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) voter list cleanup exercise in 12 states and Union Territories. The new deadline will now end on February 14. The winter session of Parliament begins tomorrow, and the SIR issue is expected to trigger a major political debate.

In a three-page order issued today, the Election Commission allowed poll officials one more week to publish the draft voter list. The enumeration period will now continue until December 11, instead of the earlier deadline of December 4 set by the Commission.

EC Announces New Dates for Draft and Final Voter Lists

In its revised order, the Election Commission confirmed that the draft voter list, earlier planned for release on December 9, will now be published on December 16. The final voter list will be released on February 14 after completing the extended verification process.

The Commission said the updated timeline will help officials manage the workload more effectively during the intensive exercise. The revised dates follow feedback received from several states where enumerators reported heavy pressure due to the tight schedule.

The EC stated that the new schedule aims to ensure accurate voter data across all concerned states and Union Territories.

Opposition Leaders Request EC to Reschedule SIR Process

Leaders from the Trinamool Congress and other Opposition parties met Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi this week and urged the Commission to reschedule the SIR exercise.

They asked the EC to plan the revision drive more efficiently, citing concerns about the intense workload on booth level officers (BLOs). Reports from several states indicated that BLOs are under severe pressure as they conduct door-to-door verification.

Cases of suicide among BLOs have been reported from West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh. The revision is especially significant for Bengal, which heads to election early next year.

Here’s Why

The Election Commission extended the SIR deadline because poll officials needed more time to complete the voter list verification. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were under heavy pressure due to the tight schedule and intensive door-to-door checks. Opposition leaders also met the Chief Election Commissioner and requested a reschedule, saying the exercise required better planning. Reports of stress and even suicides among BLOs in several states further highlighted the need for extra time.

You must know, first stage of the three-level SIR exercise in West Bengal is nearing completion. The Election Commission has identified 18.70 lakh dead voters in the voter list as of November 29 evening. The Commission has also revised its estimated number of voters likely to be removed from the draft list. 

The new estimate stands at around 35 lakh, according to news agency IANS. This figure includes 18.70 lakh deceased voters, along with duplicate entries, untraceable voters and voters who have permanently moved to other states. The EC said the cleanup aims to ensure an accurate and updated voter database.

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