Maharashtra's Booth-Level Officers Struggle with Home Visits Amid SIR Issues
Despite assurances from the Election Commission, many voters in Maharashtra report that booth-level officers are not visiting homes to resolve electoral discrepancies.
1.22 crore electors flagged in Maharashtra's Special Intensive Revision process.
BLOs are expected to collect documents at voters' homes, but many are not following through.
The final electoral roll is set to be published on November 16.
MUMBAI: In a recent development regarding the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Maharashtra, many voters have expressed frustration over booth-level officers (BLOs) not fulfilling their promise to conduct home visits. The Election Commission had assured in late September that BLOs would visit the residences of those who received notices, but reports indicate that this is not happening as expected.
The SIR draft roll flagged approximately 1.22 crore electors across the state, with 62.48 lakh identified for logical discrepancies and 59.75 lakh as unmapped. Under the revised guidelines, BLOs are tasked with collecting necessary documents from voters at their homes and uploading them to the ECINET system. Electoral registration officers (EROs) and assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs) are authorized to review these documents and resolve notices if they confirm the voter's eligibility.
However, many citizens, particularly senior citizens, have reported that the process remains cumbersome. A voter from Borivli, who received a notice, opted not to attend the office, believing that the BLO would come to his home. Unfortunately, he has yet to see any officer. Retired Air Vice Marshal Manmohan Bahadur also shared his experience, stating that he had to visit the BLO office despite the Election Commission's assurance that home visits would occur.
In one housing society in Deonar, multiple residents have received notices, leading to confusion and inconvenience. An elderly resident highlighted that only initials were provided in the notice, which led to a mismatch issue. Despite submitting documents, the process has been described as inconvenient, raising questions about the necessity of additional documentation.
Some officials attribute the lack of home visits to the fatigue experienced by BLOs due to the prolonged SIR period. They suggest that voters should cooperate by visiting society offices or nearby locations instead of expecting door-to-door visits. Conversely, some BLOs have made efforts to reach out to voters, with one in Jogeshwari West reporting that he visited several homes personally, especially for elderly residents who struggle with travel. As the SIR exercise progresses, Maharashtra is currently in Phase 3, with the final electoral roll expected to be published on November 16.
