Mann demands complete transparency in SIR

Chandigarh: Punjab chief minister Bhagwant Mann on Saturday said that the special intensive revision (SIR) of Punjab's electoral rolls should be conducted with transparency and honesty to ensure that the voting rights of genuine citizens remain protected.Replying to queries regarding the SIR, Mann said that the exercise would commence on June 15 in the presence of representatives from all political parties.Emphasising the need to prevent negative narratives like voter tampering, the CM stated that the state govt wanted to ensure that no genuine votes were deleted and no fraudulent ones were added to the list on political lines.He said the state was actively coordinating with the Election Commission of India (ECI) for a completely honest process, urging the poll body to address any complaints raised by political parties.Mann added that while states like West Bengal faced allegations of voter list manipulation during similar exercises, such discrepancies were less likely in Punjab's close-knit community.Mann said the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) would deploy its booth-level assistants (BLAs) on the ground alongside booth-level officers (BLOs) appointed by the ECI to help oversee the revision work.He also appealed to eligible voters to ensure their names are printed in the revised lists. The state chief electoral officer has asked the recognised political parties to appoint booth-level agents to ensure transparency and smooth conduct of the SIR process.MSID:: 131138495 413 |