Tell residents already given SIR notices to not come for hearings: Maharashtra EC to BLOs

Maharashtra's Election Commission has instructed Booth Level Officers (BLOs) not to call residents for hearings following the Election Commission of India's (ECI) decision on September 26. BLOs are now required to visit voters' houses instead of scheduling hearings as previously announced. Manohar Parkar, Joint Chief Electoral Officer, reiterated these instructions in a letter on Wednesday.

The state Election Commission informed officers across Maharashtra about the change in their orders. BLOs should write "No need to be present for the hearing" on notices given to voters. The third phase of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is ongoing in several states, including Maharashtra. In Pune, 13,32,845 residents have notices issued due to no-mapping with the 2002 voter roll or discrepancies in their details.

The ECI has stated that hearings may only be held under exceptional circumstances, preferably online. Despite the instructions, confusion persists among officers and citizens, with some BLOs still calling residents for hearings. One AERO from Pune mentioned that instructions were changing frequently, causing uncertainty.