By Our Reporter
SHILLONG, Oct 28: The National People’s Party (NPP) team on Tuesday met Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari to express concern over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls proposed by the Election Commission of India.
Speaking to reporters after the meeting, NPP Secretary in charge of Administration, Organisation, and Election, Don Kupar War, said the issue was raised earlier during the recent all-party meeting convened by the CEO.
He explained that while the purpose of the SIR is to “purify” the electoral rolls, the exercise should not lead to harassment of vulnerable sections, especially those in rural areas who may not possess all the documents prescribed by the ECI.
Dr War said that the CEO assured the party that their concerns would be addressed. He noted that Tiwari also clarified that the proposed SIR will be conducted in 12 states across India, excluding Meghalaya.
The NPP leader said that the state government will take up the matter with the ECI, as and when the exercise is scheduled in Meghalaya.
According to the ECI, the second phase of voter roll revisions will be held in 12 states and union territories, including West Bengal and Tamil Nadu — both headed for major elections next year — and Uttar Pradesh, which votes in 2027. The process will begin after the Bihar Assembly elections next month.
Raising specific concerns about Meghalaya, the NPP team pointed out that the state falls under the Sixth Schedule of the Constitution of India and therefore, does not have Panchayati Raj institutions. In this context, the party said the term “local authority” mentioned in the ECI’s prescribed documents should include the Dorbar Shnongs (headmen) and Nokmas, who issue residential certificates.
However, the ECI currently does not recognise such certificates as valid proof under the SIR exercise.
“The NPP demands that certificates issued by traditional local authorities in Meghalaya be accepted as valid documents for voter verification,” Dr War said.
The party also expressed concern that many citizens, particularly those aged 40 and above, may not possess birth certificates issued by the Registrar of Births and Deaths. In such cases, the NPP urged the ECI to also accept baptism certificates and ‘jer khun’ certificates issued by religious organisations as valid substitutes.
The NPP further objected to the proposed timing of the SIR exercise, which is likely to be held in November and December.
Dr War said that these months coincide with final examinations in schools, and since many Booth Level Officers are teachers, conducting the exercise during this period would adversely affect both the education of children and the quality of the survey work.
“The education of our children cannot be compromised,” he said, adding that conducting the SIR during exam months would “burden teachers” and could impact the accuracy of the electoral verification process.
