The Election Commission has formally initiated the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Kerala, as part of a nationwide update covering twelve states between November and February.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO, Kerala) has directed immediate action to ensure the revision progresses according to the Election Commission’s schedule. District-level political party meetings must be held within the next two days, followed by Booth Level Officer (BLO)–Booth Level Agent (BLA) meetings across all polling stations by Sunday. Training for all BLOs must be completed within three days, and the printing of enumeration forms finalised by November 3.
The guidelines call for special attention to assisting persons with disabilities, promoting online voter registration to make the process paperless, and ensuring strict adherence to Election Commission timelines.
To strengthen the workforce, an additional 6,300 BLOs will be appointed, and Help Desks will be established in all districts to assist residents and guest workers with voter enrolment and corrections.
The CEO emphasised that this year’s SIR will focus on digital, transparent, and inclusive processes, ensuring participation from young voters, persons with disabilities, and migrant workers. District Collectors have been asked to monitor the progress closely and submit consolidated performance reports by December 31st.
A circular issued on October 28 by Chief Electoral Officer Dr Rathan U Kelkar, IAS. He has directed all District Election Officers (DEOs) to establish Help Desks within 24 hours to guide the public on enrolment, corrections, deletions, and transpositions in the voter list.
For now, the help desks will initially operate from 9:00 am to 9:00 pm, with the option to extend operations to 24 hours depending on demand. Each desk will be manned by trained officials, with additional personnel fluent in Hindi and other regional languages to assist migrant workers. DEOs have also been instructed to widely publicise Help Desk locations and contact numbers through press releases, local media, and social media, and must submit regular performance reports to the CEO’s office every three days during the SIR period.
In a separate circular, the CEO announced the appointment of “SIR Ambassadors” through Electoral Literacy Clubs (ELCs) in schools and colleges to promote 100 per cent voter registration.
Each institution will nominate two to five active members as ambassadors to raise awareness among students and the public. These ambassadors will work closely with BLOs and receive short online or offline training. Top-performing ambassadors at the state level will receive ₹10,000 each, while the three best-performing ELCs will be honoured on National Voters’ Day with prizes of ₹1 lakh, ₹50,000, and ₹25,000 respectively.
Also read: PM SHRI row won’t affect governance: Kerala minister
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