HYDERABAD: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed election authorities in Telangana to organise special camps at every polling station on October 15 and 16 to facilitate the enrolment of eligible voters whose names are missing from the draft electoral rolls.
The camps will provide an opportunity for left-out electors, particularly young and first-time voters, to apply for inclusion in the electoral rolls by submitting Form 6.
District electoral officers (DEOs) and district collectors have been asked to ensure the camps are conducted. Booth Level Officers (BLOs) must be present at the designated locations on both days to assist applicants. Booth Level Agents (BLAs) of recognised political parties have also been asked to attend.
Applications received through Form 6 will be processed in accordance with the prescribed procedure for inclusion in the final electoral roll, scheduled to be published on November 9.
As part of the exercise, BLOs will compare the current rolls with the pre-SIR rolls to identify electors whose names appeared in earlier lists but are missing from the current rolls. They will prepare booth-wise lists and conduct house-to-house visits to verify the present status of such electors and facilitate their enrolment wherever they are found eligible.
The BLOs have been asked to cover at least 20 to 25 electors a week and complete the exercise in about a month. They must record the status of each identified elector and facilitate enrolment by filling out Form 6 wherever necessary. During these visits, they will also identify and assist other eligible citizens, particularly young and first-time voters, who have not yet registered.
The lists of identified electors will be shared with BLAs of recognised political parties. BLOs will also submit the lists, completed Form 6 applications and field verification reports to the respective EROs for action under the Representation of the People Act, 1950, and the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
Following the exercise, EROs will share booth-wise lists with political party representatives, providing them another opportunity to identify eligible voters who may have been left out and facilitate their enrolment.
The ECI has also directed authorities to organise booth-level camps to assist with the submission of enrolment applications. Special camps may be held at night shelters and labour colonies and for homeless people and other marginalised communities.
DEOs and EROs will monitor and review the progress of the special drive. Authorities have also been instructed to post relevant material on their social media handles, clearly identifying the polling station, Assembly constituency and district.