Ranchi, Aug 19: Around 4,000 members of tribal communities in Jharkhand have so far not participated in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, prompting election authorities to step up efforts to encourage eligible residents to complete the enrolment process.
The number of such cases has increased since the revision exercise began in the state on June 30, according to officials.Jharkhand Chief Electoral Officer K Ravi Kumar said election authorities were recording details of people who had not submitted enumeration forms or participated in the claims and objections process.
He said the information was being maintained primarily for future reference and to enable officials to approach the residents and encourage them to complete the necessary formalities for inclusion in the electoral roll.The official clarified that merely recording a person’s details does not automatically result in their name being added to the voter list.Eligible residents are required to complete the prescribed enrolment procedure.
During the claims and objections phase, applicants seeking inclusion in the electoral roll can submit Form 6, officials said.The CEO said efforts were being made to persuade members of indigenous tribal communities to participate in the electoral-roll revision exercise.Cases of non-participation have been reported from Ranchi, Khunti, Pakur and Latehar, while six additional cases were reported from Dhanbad on August 17, according to the report.
An earlier case involving a tribal community in a village in Khunti block had also drawn attention after residents reportedly declined to participate in the revision exercise.
Election officials are continuing outreach efforts in the affected areas, with the objective of ensuring that eligible residents understand the enrolment procedure and are able to get their names included in the electoral roll.The development comes as the state carries out the intensive revision process aimed at updating and verifying electoral records.
