SIR: The SIR (Special Investigation Report) period will be extended once again; nearly 2.75 crore survey forms have not been returned in Uttar Pradesh.

Uttar Pradesh is almost certain to get another week for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls. Reports indicate that approximately 17.7% (nearly 2.75 crore) of voter enumeration forms have not been collected by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs). According to high-ranking sources, in light of this, the Chief Electoral Officer's office in the state has decided to request the Election Commission for an extension of time for the SIR.

The new decision could come any time before December 11th. Previously, the deadline for filling out the enumeration forms was extended from December 4th to December 11th on November 30th. The state has over 15.44 crore voters. According to the Election Commission's report, 97.3% of the digitisation of the enumeration forms has been completed.

17.7% of Forms Not Yet Submitted

In the state, 80% of the enumeration forms have been returned, while 17.7% of the forms are not yet in a position to be submitted. This is a significant number. Therefore, Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa has requested all political parties to help in collecting these forms. All District Election Officers have been instructed to verify whether these forms are indeed not in a position to be returned.

Currently, the last date for filling out the enumeration forms and returning them is December 11th. According to sources, considering the request from the Chief Electoral Officer's office in Uttar Pradesh, another week's extension may be granted.

Yogi's Advice: SIR is a Booster for Democracy... Identify the Infiltrators

In Ghaziabad, Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a booster dose for democracy. He appealed to public representatives to identify Bangladeshi and Rohingya infiltrators, get their names removed from the voter list, and initiate the process of sending them to detention centres.

CM Yogi had arrived on Monday to review the SIR. He advised public representatives to attend fewer wedding functions and spend more time among the people. He also held meetings in Agra and Moradabad to review the progress of the SIR work. The elected representatives were instructed to ensure that forms are submitted for as many eligible people as possible so that their names can be included in the voter list. They were also asked to visit homes where weddings have recently taken place and ensure that the women's votes are registered at only one location after they move to their in-laws' homes. Sometimes, votes are registered at both their parental and marital homes, which can cause problems during vote counting.