Nagpur BLOs ask voters to submit SIR documents at schools, defying Election Commission instructions

Some booth level officers (BLOs) in Nagpur, working on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, are accused of acting contrary to Election Commission instructions. Protests over flaws in the SIR are under way across the country, and agitations are on to demand the resignation of the Chief Election Commissioner. Meanwhile, the commission has issued strict instructions for people whose names have not been included in the voter list.

One of the commission's instructions is that BLOs themselves will visit homes and collect documents. In Nagpur, however, people are being sent messages asking them to come to a school, temple premises or another public place and deposit their documents. The messages also say that those who submit documents will not need to go through a notice and hearing.

Some citizens of the Itwari and Gandhibagh areas said they had submitted all the correct documents the first time. Even so, their names in the list contain many errors. In some places the father's name has been placed first, and elsewhere there are spelling mistakes. Citizens ask whether the errors were made by the BLOs or by the system. They will now have to make repeated trips to get them corrected. They say that since BLOs have been instructed to collect documents from homes, they are being negligent in their work.

One citizen said they received a message from the BLO of their area. It said that a name error could be corrected only through the booth level officer's app, so documents should be handed in, after which no hearing would be needed.

Residents were called to submit documents at Rajkumar Kewalramani School on October 3 from 12 noon to 2 pm, giving them only two hours. According to citizens, the same approach is being followed in South Nagpur.

Another citizen said their name had been written correctly with the father's name and surname, but the name in the father's name column was itself made wrong. They said it was the height of negligence that a correct name was written first and a wrong one below it. They will now have to go through the process again to get the name corrected.

Meanwhile, under the SIR under way in Maharashtra, the commission has said that voters who receive a hearing notice in the "no mapping" or "logical discrepancy" categories need not appear in person. Officials say BLOs will visit the homes of voters who receive notices and collect the required documents. According to the commission's revised instructions, voters can also send the required documents or proof to the concerned BLO on WhatsApp.

Despite this, some BLOs are sending messages asking voters to come to a fixed place for a fixed period. Citizens have asked the district election officer to look into the matter.