BLOs flag training gaps ahead of next phase of SIR in Delhi

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With over 33 lakh voters set to face notices and hearings after the draft electoral roll is published on August 31, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have flagged gaps in their training ahead of the next phase of special intensive revision (SIR) in Delhi.

The claims and objections phase, which begins with the publication of the draft roll, will require BLOs to deliver notices, explain documentation requirements and assist people whose names do not appear in the roll. The month-long process will run until September 30, while the notice and disposal process will continue until October 29.

Delhi has 1.45 crore electors. The 33.15 lakh figure, based on data compiled as of August 18 after the enumeration phase ended, includes 13.79 lakh voters whose enumeration forms could not be mapped to the previous SIR roll and 19.36 lakh whose forms were flagged for anomalies. These cases will be taken up for verification from the draft roll, which will carry the names of 97.5 lakh voters whose forms were collected, digitised, and verified.

The remaining 47.6 lakh names frozen on June 16 will not appear in the draft roll and have been categorised into Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate and Others (ASDDO). The ‘Others’ category includes voters who refused to return or sign the enumeration form, or share details, according to officials. For the eligible citizens whose names don’t appear in the roll, or wrongly appear in the ASDDO list, the next phase is crucial for filing Form 6 as a claim, and enrolling as a new voter. A separate PDF listing these voters will also be published on August 31.

The scale of the exercise will make the claims and objections phase considerably more demanding than the enumeration process, particularly for BLOs, who will have to deliver notices, guide voters on the documents required and help process claims from those whose names do not appear in the draft, said a senior election official.

“Till now, our work was largely about collecting and verifying forms. From August 31, voters will come to us with questions about notices, documents, Form 6, and the declaration. We need clear instructions on what exactly we are expected to tell them,” said a BLO in the southeast district.

The concern was echoed by BLOs in the northeast and south districts, who said that while officials had indicated that training had been conducted, they had not received a detailed briefing on the procedures to be followed after publication of the draft. “The difficulty will be explaining to a voter why their name is not in the draft or why they have received a notice, and what document they have to submit. The declaration is also something our supervisors have said will be explained to us on Monday,” the BLO in the northeast district said.

Senior officials, however, said training had been imparted to BLOs in the week following the end of the enumeration phase.

A BLO in south district said the changes in polling stations could also lead to queries from voters as the new polling booth number will reflect in the draft roll.