Chief Election Commissioner reviews status of Special Summary Revision work of Electoral Rolls

Zaidi directs officers to ensure correct electoral roll

 

Amritsar, Dec. 28 (Punjab Post Bureau) – The Chief Election Commissioner of India Mr. Nasim Zaidi today reviewed the status of Special Summary Revision work of Electoral Rolls with January, 1, 2016 as qualifying date.

CEC directed the officers to ensure that Electoral Roll is correct and any eligible elector if not enrolled by now be enrolled during continuous revision in 2016 in campaign mode. He also directed to start preparatory work for the next General election for assembly well in time so that election machinery is well equipped and trained for the elections in 2017.

Mr. Zaidi accompanied by Mr. V.K. Singh, IAS, Chief Electoral Officer Punjab, Deputy Commissioner cum District Election Officer Mr. Ravi Bhagat presided over the meeting, where ADEO and EROs of the District Amritsar, Additional DEO and EROs of Taran Tarn district were also present.

It was informed in the meeting that Election Commission of India launched ‘The National Electoral Roll Purification and Authentication Programme’ (NERPAP) in March, 2015. During intensive door-to-door verification 763119 names were deleted due to reason of dead, shifted and repeated voters by following due procedure and 186879 new electors were enrolled in the electoral rolls up to August 2015.

Draft Photo Electoral Rolls w.e.f 01.01.2016 as qualifying date was published on 15.09.2015 across the State. There were 19114993 voters in the Draft Electoral Rolls. During summary revision-2016 2,39,263 Form-6, 1,59,544 Form-7, 1,13,200 Form-8 and 13,438 Form 8A were received. The meeting informed that there was net increase of 79172 voters over the draft rolls published on 15.09.2015. The final publication of the photo electoral roll will take place on 11.01.2016 across the State.

The projected population for 2016 of the State is 2 Crore 95 Lakhs and the total electors in the State are 19194165 as on 01.01.2016. The projected eligible population of the State is 19949125 which means that about 8 Lakhs persons who are eligible to enroll have not done so as yet. 96.22% of the eligible population stands registered as voters. The elector population ratio should be 676 but is 650 in actual fact.

There are 10145425 males, 9048464 females and 276 third genders votes in the State. The gender ratio of the State as per census is 893 whereas the roll shows a gender ratio of 892. The age–cohort 18-19 is projected at approx 11 Lacs which comes to 3.90% of the eligible population. The present roll has 227135 voters in this age group, which is 0.77% of the total eligible population and approx. 20% of this potential elector number in particular age cohort viz 18-19. A large number of young people will complete 18 years during the course of year and get enrolled in continuous revision from January to August 2016.

All voters have their EPICs and photographs in the roll. Some of the EPICs are still under distribution. Only 172 NRIs have enrolled themselves as voters. There are 22022 Polling Stations including auxiliary polling stations.

Presently the seat of 24-Khadoor Sahib assembly constituency is vacant w.e.f. 17.11.2015 due to resignation of Mr. Ramanjit Singh Sikki MLA of INC. There are 7 members of the Rajya Sabha from the State of Punjab, out of which 5 members are retiring in the month of April, 2016 and remaining 2 members in the month of July, 2016.  The term of Present Vidhan Sabha is till 18th March 2017 and next General Election will have to be completed before that.