Legal and procedural safeguards in place for inclusion of voters: Puducherry Election Dept. on SIR

The Puducherry Election Department has said that the small print of those that have utilized for the inclusion of their names within the electoral roll might be notified to all recognised political events via Form 9 (compilation of all Form 6 acquired by EROs) or 11 (compilation of all Form 8 acquired by EROs) for scrutiny and as a measure of transparency within the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) train.

In an in depth notice, the division has sought to clear the air over some experiences on sure points of the SIR, for the reason that course of was introduced throughout the Union Territory, significantly speculations that migrants within the metropolis, who had voted within the Assembly elections in Bihar, would even be eligible to train their franchise within the polls to be held for the Puducherry Legislative Assembly early subsequent yr.

Dismissing these experiences as “misrepresentation of information and with out appreciation of the authorized and procedural safeguards”, the division stated the Election Commission of India (ECI) had put in place procedural safeguards to cope with such instances. If an individual, after voting in Bihar, subsequently shifts their residence to Puducherry, they need to first delete their title from the electoral roll of Bihar earlier than making use of afresh within the UT.

The software, via submission of Form 6 (for inclusion of an elector) or 8 (for shifting the tackle of an current elector), needs to be accompanied by a declaration kind duly full of legitimate proof of residence. The applicant ought to submit any one of many 13 types prescribed by the ECI together with the shape, the notice stated.

“If any false info is offered within the declaration hooked up to the applying kind, the particular person might be answerable for felony motion beneath Section 31 of the Representation of People Act, 1950. On receipt of the applying, the ERO will organize for a discipline enquiry via the BLO. The BLO will confirm eligibility as per Article 326 of Indian Constitution (residents above 18 years of age), and Section 19 of the Representation of People Act, 1950,” the division stated.