New Delhi: The Supreme Court will resume hearing on the pleas challenging the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar on Friday.
The case has garnered national attention following concerns that nearly 65 lakh names were missing from the draft voter list published by the Election Commission of India (ECI).
In its latest status report submitted on Thursday, the ECI informed the apex court that it has fully complied with the court’s interim directives regarding the disclosure of omitted names. The booth-wise list of all 65 lakh individuals whose names were excluded from the draft electoral rolls has been uploaded on the official websites of all 38 District Election Officers (DEOs) across Bihar.
The Commission clarified that the reasons for each omission, such as death, change of residence, or duplicate entries, have also been specified in the list.
To ensure wider accessibility, the same data has been made available at Panchayat Bhavans, Block Development Offices, and Panchayat Offices throughout the state.
The ECI also highlighted that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Assistants (BLAs) have been equipped with the lists and are available to assist residents in understanding the reasons for their exclusion. They will also assist individuals in filing claims, objections, or requests for correction by the procedure outlined in the SIR order dated June 24, 2025.
In response to the court’s emphasis on transparency and public outreach, the poll body stated that an extensive awareness campaign has been launched. The campaign utilizes newspapers, radio, TV, and social media platforms, including the official handles of the DEOs, to inform citizens about the online and offline availability of the omitted voter list.
The Election Commission has further instructed aggrieved voters to submit their claims along with valid identity proof, such as an Aadhaar card, if they believe their names have been wrongly removed.
(IANS)
