ECI tough on omission of names from electoral rolls

Bhopal, Nov 2 (UNI) As many as 12,002 voters enrolled in the Madhya Pradesh voters' lists were omitted from the final electoral rolls but would now be rehabilitated.

Taking a tough stand on the lapse, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed officers concerned to fix responsibility and also instructed rapid disposal of 25,708 pending cases of adding names to the rolls under Form-6, a State Election Office release said here today.

The ECI was intimated of the situation and its view sought. The Commission dwelt over how names displayed in the voters' lists with photographs were omitted in the finally published rolls even when returning officers or assistant returning officers had not directed their deletion.

Exercising its power under Article 324 of the Constitution and other powers, the ECI ordered that the omitted names be published in appendices to the rolls. The Commission instructed returning officers to keep ready a detailed report and record. They would also prepare a separate list of rehabilitated voters.

Their serial numbers in the originally published voters' lists and supplementary voters' list would be specially shown. A copy of it would be provided to observers so that they could undertake random verification. Election officers concerned would also issue a certificate that the names omitted by mistake had been rehabilitated. This certificate would be given after tallying omitted names with the draft voters' lists.

Chief Election Officers would send a confirmation letter to the ECI. The Commission has instructed analysis of the omission and sought a report, the release added.

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