ECI announces revised schedule for SIR in Maha
Mumbai, July 17
The Election Commission of India on Friday announced a revised schedule for the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls across Maharashtra.
The decision comes in the wake of recent heavy rainfall in parts of the state, following a formal request for an extension from the state's Chief Electoral Officer.
According to the state Chief Electoral Officer's office, torrential downpours in Konkan, Mumbai, and other regions have disrupted ongoing enumeration and data collection drives, necessitating a revised timeline.
The revised schedule outlines the key deadlines for the voter registration and verification process. House-to-house verification visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will be conducted from June 30, 2026 - August 8, 2026.
Rationalisation and re-arrangement of polling stations will also be completed by August 8, 2026. Publication of the Draft Electoral Roll is scheduled for August 17, 2026 (Monday).
The period for filing claims and objections will run from August 17, 2026 - September 16, 2026. Disposal of claims and objections (notice and hearing phase) will take place between August 17, 2026 - October 15, 2026, and the Final Publication of the Electoral Roll is set for October 19, 2026 (Monday).
The state administration has directed all district election officers to provide written copies of this updated timeline to local political parties and ensure wide publicity across media platforms.
As per the earlier schedule, during June 20 - June 29, printing of pre-filled enumeration forms and training of over one lakh Booth Level Officers (BLOs) were to be done.
Door-to-door physical verification and BLO visits for households to distribute and collect completed enumeration forms were proposed from June 30 to July 30. Publication of the Draft Electoral Roll was scheduled for August 5, the period for citizens to file claims and objections from August 5 - September 4, resolution of all submitted claims and objections by October 3, and publication of the Final Electoral Roll on October 7.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra is a major state-wide drive to verify and update voter records. Led by S. Chockalingam, the Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra, the initiative aims to cross-verify the details of roughly 98.6 million voters.
— IANS
Reader Comments
Interesting how the electoral process adapts to local weather challenges. The revised timeline seems reasonable given the disruptions. I wonder how this affects political party preparations for upcoming elections.
Hope they also use technology more. In Mumbai, many people have moved but not updated addresses. Aadhaar linking can help but privacy concerns bhi hain. Balance needed. 🤔
98.6 million voters is massive! This is a good initiative but execution is key. BLOs need proper training and compensation. Last time in my area, BLO never even came. Had to go to collector office myself to add name.
Makes sense to extend due to heavy rains. But timeline still tight for October final publication. Hope political parties and citizens use the claims/objections period actively. Every vote matters.
Important step for democratic process. But why only now they are doing SIR? Should be continuous process. Still, better late than never. Hope they also address duplicate entries properly. 🙏
One criticism: this should have been planned keeping monsoon in mind. Maharashtra rains are predictable. ECI should have factored this while making original schedule. Anyway, revised plan is practical. Let's hope for smooth implementation.
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