Pune Election Office Clarifies BLOs Must Visit Homes For Voter Verification
Pune Election Office Clarifies BLOs Must Visit Homes For Voter Verification
Pune, July 11: The Pune District Election Office has clarified that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) must visit voters at their residences to carry out verification under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, following complaints that some electors were being asked to visit designated centres instead.
Deputy Collector and Deputy District Election Officer Minal Kalaskar said the SIR exercise is intended to make voter verification convenient and that BLOs are responsible for completing the process through house visits.
Door-to-Door Verification Mandatory
According to the Election Office, BLOs are required to visit every household in their assigned area and distribute duplicate copies of the Enumeration Form containing the pre-printed details of existing electors. They are also expected to assist voters in filling out the forms.
If a residence is found locked, the BLO must leave the Enumeration Form and make at least three attempts to collect the completed form. Every elector is required to submit the form along with the necessary self-attested documents. The BLO must retain one copy and provide an acknowledgement receipt on the duplicate copy submitted by the voter.
Complaints Over Verification Process
The clarification follows complaints from residents who claimed they were being asked to visit BLO offices or designated verification centres instead of receiving doorstep verification.
The Election Office acknowledged that continuous rainfall and the limited time available to complete the SIR exercise had affected field work. Officials said some BLOs may have attempted to complete verification from a single location to meet deadlines.
However, the district administration reiterated that the prescribed procedure requires door-to-door verification and said fresh instructions would be issued to ensure that BLOs follow the mandated process as weather conditions improve.
Residents Urged to Complete SIR Process
Meanwhile, residents have been urged to complete the SIR process by submitting the required Enumeration Forms and self-attested documents within the stipulated timeframe. Enumeration Forms are being distributed door-to-door and are also available with the respective BLOs.
Concerns Over BLO Availability
Residents in some areas have also reported that BLOs were not available at the designated verification centres during working hours, resulting in delays and inconvenience for those attempting to complete the verification process.
