BASAR : Leparada Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer Himani Meena on Thursday reviewed the progress of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 of electoral rolls, with particular emphasis on the distribution, collection and digitisation of Enumeration Forms.

The review meeting was attended by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) whose pendency in digitising Enumeration Forms remained above 30 per cent, along with officials of the Election Branch.

Reviewing the progress of the exercise, Meena interacted individually with the concerned BLOs to ascertain the reasons for the delay in their respective polling stations. The BLOs cited several field-level challenges, including the death of registered electors, migration and change of residence of voters, untraceable electors, migration of a large number of non-APST voters, and disruptions caused by incessant rainfall and landslides.

They also informed the meeting that connectivity to several areas, including Ichi village under Dari Circle, has been cut off due to recent flash floods, hampering door-to-door verification and the collection of Enumeration Forms.

While acknowledging the challenges, the DC-cum-DEO said such obstacles are inevitable in large-scale administrative exercises and must be addressed systematically. She directed all BLOs to record appropriate remarks in cases where Enumeration Forms could not be collected due to unavoidable reasons such as death, migration or untraceable electors, stressing that proper documentation is essential to maintain the accuracy and transparency of the revision process.

Reiterating the importance of adhering to the schedule prescribed by the Election Commission of India (ECI), Meena directed officials to complete the digitisation of Enumeration Forms well before the stipulated deadline. She also instructed BLOs to intensify house-to-house visits and voter awareness campaigns to ensure that every eligible elector is covered and no voter is left out of the revision exercise.

Clarifying the provisions relating to electoral enrolment, she said the decision to change the place of enrolment rests solely with the elector. In cases of duplicate enrolments, the concerned individual must be given the option to choose the constituency in which he or she wishes to remain enrolled, in accordance with ECI guidelines.

The meeting directed all BLOs to submit daily progress reports on the distribution, collection and digitisation of Enumeration Forms from July 10 onwards. They were also asked to furnish reasons for genuine pendency cases, seek additional manpower wherever required, intensify field visits and complete digitisation by July 13.

A review meeting has been scheduled for July 13 to assess progress and address any remaining bottlenecks.

Expressing confidence in the commitment of election officials, Meena said the district would complete the Special Intensive Revision within the stipulated timeframe and urged all field functionaries to remain proactive in ensuring that every eligible voter is included in the electoral roll. (DIPR)