Facilitation centres for NRI voters soon

Thursday, 08/09/2011

http://epaper.hindustantimes.com/PUBLICATIONS/HT/HC/2011/09/08/ArticleHtmls/Facilitation-centres-for-NRI-voters-soon-08092011017023.shtml?Mode=1#

Ahead of the assembly elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has decided to set up facilitation centres for NRIs in each district of the state, where they can check their names in voter-list of respective villages and towns.

At a meeting of senior officials of Amritsar, Tarn Taran and Kapurthala district here on Wednesday, deputy election commissioner Jai P Prakash said NRI, who find their names deleted from voter-list can lodge complaints at these centres.

The meeting was held to review the electoral rolls revision process for the assembly elections due February next.

Besides state chief electoral officer Kusumjit Sidhu and special electoral officer Usha Sharma, the meeting was attended by deputy commissioners, who are also district electoral officers, range IGPs and DIGs, Amritsar police commissioner, SSPs and electoral officers of assembly constituencies in three districts.

Earlier, the deputy election commissioner held a meeting with representatives of political parties from the districts.

The deputy EC gave nod to a proposal to set up NRI facilitation centres after representatives of political parties -particularly from Kapurthala -said NRIs often find their names deleted from voter-lists if they happen to be in the country during elections.

The deputy election commissioner made it clear to the officials that there should be no suo moto deletion of names from a voter list. “A name can only be deleted only after the relevant form is submitted.“

On the revision of electoral rolls, Prakash made it clear that the system needs to be strengthened, the monitoring process in particular. He said the returning officers of each constituency should monitor the process in the field and not leave everything to booth-level officers. He said facilities available at each polling station should be checked and shortcoming be removed.

Prakash also suggested wide publicity of the electoral lists once these are published. “In rural areas, panchayat-level meetings should be held to apprise people about the electoral rolls, while the lists should be put on the website of the state election authorities in urban areas.“ Taking stock of law and order situation in three districts, the deputy election commissioner asked the police officials to study the pattern of violence in previous assembly elections and chalk out a plan accordingly.