Meghalaya CM says govt will ensure genuine citizens are not harassed in voter roll revision

Shillong, Sep 10 (PTI) Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma on Wednesday said that the government will strike a balance in the upcoming revision of electoral rolls to ensure that genuine citizens are not harassed while preventing non-citizens from being included in the state's voter list.

Replying to a cut motion in the Assembly, Sangma said the proposed Summary Intensive Revision (SIR) has been mandated to address concerns over errors, duplicate voter IDs and questionable entries.

"The exercise will involve house-to-house enumeration, where every elector will be required to submit an enumeration form," he said.

He clarified that electors whose names were already in the rolls as of January 1, 2003, will not be required to furnish fresh documents.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has given the exemption to minimise inconvenience to aged citizens.

The chief minister said the revision is vital given the demographic changes of the past two decades.

"There have been changes due to rapid urbanisation, migration and other factors. We cannot deny these realities, and the electoral rolls need to reflect those accurately," he said.

Sangma informed the House that the government will conduct exhaustive training for Booth Level Officers (BLOs), covering all aspects of the exercise, including household visits, document verification, and handling of claims and objections.

He also acknowledged concerns from legislators about citizens in rural and border areas who may struggle to produce documents.

"We are committed to working with the Election Commission of India to find practical solutions. Genuine citizens will not be disenfranchised because of procedural difficulties," Sangma said.

Opposition members had raised fears of harassment of villagers during the verification process.

Responding to that, the chief minister said the administration would adopt a facilitative, not punitive, approach.

"The idea is not to trouble our citizens but to build a credible electoral roll that inspires trust," he added. PTI JOP NN