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Election Commission of India has issued orders to start the third phase of Special Intensive Review (SIR) in 16 states and 3 union territories. Under this campaign, door-to-door verification of crores of voters will be done, so that the voter list can be made more transparent and error-free.

What is SIR process

SIR i.e. Special Intensive Revision is a special process through which intensive verification of the voter list is done. Its purpose is to ensure that the voter list remains completely accurate, transparent and updated. During this, fake names are removed and new eligible voters are added.

Announcement of third phase

The Election Commission has now decided to implement the third phase of SIR. The Commission said that this program has been prepared keeping in mind the ongoing house listing process of the census so that there is coordination between both the works.

In which states will SIR be held?

According to the Election Commission, this special campaign will be run in 16 states and 3 union territories of the country. Under this, verification of voters will be done door-to-door at the booth level. The Commission says that this will make the electoral process more transparent.

Work will not be done in three states right now

However, the SIR process will not start yet in Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir and Ladakh. The Election Commission said that the schedule will be announced later considering the weather in these areas and the second phase of the census.

Snowfall and weather became the reason

According to the Election Commission, the weather conditions at present in high altitude and snow covered areas are challenging. For this reason, the SIR process has been postponed in these areas. The Commission said that when the right time comes, a separate program will be issued for these states and union territories.

The team will reach crores of voters

It is planned to reach out to about 36.73 crore voters in the third phase of SIR. For this, more than 3.94 lakh booth level officers i.e. BLOs will go door-to-door and collect information. This is considered to be one of the largest election verification campaigns in the country.

BLA will also help

The Election Commission said that 3.42 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties will also cooperate in this campaign. Their job will be to maintain transparency in the verification process and assist at the local level.

Special appeal to political parties

The Election Commission has appealed to all political parties to appoint their BLAs at every booth. The Commission says that this is a participatory process in which voters, political parties and election officials all have important roles.

Emphasis on complete transparency

The Commission said that the SIR process will be completed with complete transparency and fairness. Through this, it will be ensured that there is no discrepancy or fraud in the voter list.

what happened in the first two stages

According to the Election Commission, this process has been completed in 13 states and union territories in the first two phases. About 59 crore voters were included in these areas. More than 6.3 lakh BLOs and 9.2 lakh BLAs had participated in the first phases.

Voter list will be stronger

Experts believe that this process will make the voter list stronger and more reliable than before. This may also reduce disputes and complaints during elections.

Verification will be done door to door

During this campaign, officials will directly reach people’s homes and check their documents and information. If any voter’s information is found incorrect then it will be corrected.

New voters will also get a chance

Newly eligible citizens will also be included in the voter list during the SIR process. This is being considered a big opportunity especially for the youth who have completed 18 years of age.

Focus on stopping fake voting

The main focus of the Election Commission is to stop fake voting and duplicate entries. The Commission says that this problem can be reduced to a great extent through technology and field verification. Experts say that accurate and transparent voter list is the biggest strength of any democracy.

Therefore, a process like SIR plays an important role in strengthening the election system. The Election Commission has appealed to the people to cooperate in the verification process and provide correct information. The Commission says that this campaign cannot be successful without the participation of citizens.

Major part of election preparations

SIR is being considered very important in view of the upcoming elections. The Commission wants that the voter list of every state should be completely updated and error-free before the elections. Now this big verification campaign is being monitored across the country. From political parties to common voters, they are watching how the Election Commission implements this process and what effect it has on the electoral system.