The attention of Election department particularly of Dimapur district has drawn by your daily newspaper on 31st Oct. 2012 through Editorial Column “For a clean Electoral Roll” in which, it is mentioned that (1) Election Department of the district had deleted hundreds of names form the voters list and in their place dubious names were included (2) Names of so many genuine voters names were arbitrarily deleted with just the stroke of a pen (3) There are complaints from voters that they encountered various difficulties when they sought re-inclusion of their names and (4) It was revealed that some of the employees rejected the forms on the ground that they were to be “procured” only form the branch. It was revealed that the sale was sought to be justified on the ground that there many doubtful people who downloaded the forms for submission etc. In this context the Dimapur district Election department is compelled to issue clarification for dispelling all doubts from the general public of Dimapur district as under.
i. The Election department of the district never and ever included or deleted the entries of voters names randomly with just a stroke of pen without following the laid down norms as required by Election Commission of India. The laid down norms for receipt of any application for inclusion in form 6, application for deletion in Form 7, application for correction of entries in Form 8 and application for transposition of constituency in Form 8A are listed in Form 9, 10, 11 and 11A and those list are exhibited in respective polling stations or in EROs Office Notice Board for 7(seven) days inviting any objections. In the case of any objection for inclusion/ deletion/ correction and transposition is lodged within the period, notice in with Form 12 is issued to the objected and notice in Form13 is issued to the objector with specified date and place for hearing. After completing all the process as above, only then names are either included/ deleted/ corrected and transposed in Electoral Roll as per Registration of Electors Rules, 1960.
ii. No residents of respective polling station are bothered to verify the above stated list prepared by respective booth level officers of the polling station and no objection is received during the period that leads for inclusion of deal/shifted/multiple entries/bogus and names of underage as electors of the polling station. In order to clean up all unwanted names from electoral rolls, the district election officials held several meetings with 1. Naga tribal hohos of the district 2. Church leaders of various tribes 3.Naga Women Hoho of Dimapur district 4. Dimapur Naga Students’ Union 5.Gaon Burahs of town and villages 6. Naga council members Dimapur etc. requesting their participation in preparing 100% error free photo electoral rolls. Both level officers for each polling station for 5(five) A/Cs under Dimapur district have been given strict instruction to form verification committee consisting of GBs/council members/pastors and prominent citizen of the area and through verification committee, all entries like bogus/dad/multiple entries/shifted and underage case be deleted and process for necessary action by respective booth level officers (BLOs).
iii. All registered political parties of the district are required for appointment of their booth level gents (BLAs) and the information to this effect was given in writing as well as in discussion during meetings with them. But it is disheartening to note that no political party has shown any interest in doing so. Only 6(six) booth level agents could be appointed by NPF party for the entire 280 polling stations under the district and booth level officers are working without booth level agents which is mandatory.
iv. All forms for revision purpose have been supplied through booth level officers (BLOs).they have been instructed to accept downloaded, Xerox forms provided it contains all required information columns apart from forms supplied by the office. Public of Dimapur are requested to inform the district election officials in case of refusal or rejection by BLOs for reasons that forms are not procured from election branch of downloaded or of Xerox etc.
v. Public are requested to report the matter immediately to election officials in the case where revision forms are sold either by BLOs or by any public individuals. Neccessary action will be initiated against those people as per provision of law.
vi. General public of Dimapur district is requested to report the matter to election officials of the district in case any BLOs working with lackadaisical attitude contrary to official instruction etc.The election officials will not hesitate in initiating action against any erring BLOs under section 32 of representation of the people act 1950.
(Khekugha Sema)
Assistant Election Officer-I &
Assistant Electoral Registration Officer
Dimapur: Nagaland
