Election authorities in Punjab have intensified preparations for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, calling on political parties to ensure timely participation for a smooth execution of the exercise across the state.
Preparations in Patiala
In Patiala, District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner Himanshu Aggarwal urged political parties to appoint booth level agents (BLAs) at the earliest, emphasizing their crucial role in ensuring transparency during the revision process. He stated that the exercise aims to include all eligible voters and remove ineligible names, warning that duplicate voting is punishable with up to one year's imprisonment.
Door-to-door verification by booth level officers (BLOs) will be conducted from June 25 to July 24. Patiala has deployed 1,786 BLOs, 185 supervisors, 8 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), and 16 Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs). Training for these officials is scheduled from June 15 to 24. The district has already achieved 82.82% mapping with the 2003 electoral rolls, which serves as the benchmark for the current revision.
Aggarwal also announced a toll-free helpline (1950) and a district help desk to assist voters. So far, only the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), Congress, and Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) have appointed district representatives.
Preparations in Amritsar
In Amritsar, Deputy Commissioner Dalwinderjit Singh directed officials across all 11 assembly segments to ensure effective implementation of the revision. The district has deployed 2,134 BLOs, along with additional AEROs, supervisors, and master trainers. BLO training will be held from June 15 to 20, while the draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on July 31.
The authorities are committed to ensuring a transparent and inclusive revision process, with strict measures against any irregularities.
