By Amrit Pal Sidhu @Babushahi Network
Jalandhar, June 30:
Reiterating the Election Commission's commitment to maintaining the highest standards of electoral preparedness, transparency and integrity, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Punjab, Anindita Mitra, today conducted the quarterly inspection of the district-level Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) warehouse at Jalandhar.
She was accompanied by Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election OfficerVarjeet Walia and Joint Chief Electoral Officer Navneet Kaur Ball.
During the inspection, which was carried out in the presence of election officials and representatives of various recognised political parties, the Chief Electoral Officer visited the district-level warehouse located at the District Administrative Complex and reviewed the security, maintenance and storage arrangements of the EVMs and VVPATs.
Anindita conducted a comprehensive assessment of the arrangements made for the safe custody of the voting machines. She inspected the CCTV surveillance system, fire safety equipment, access control measures and other security protocols to ensure that the machines are being preserved in accordance with the guidelines of the Election Commission of India. She expressed satisfaction over the arrangements and stressed the importance of maintaining the highest standards of security and transparency throughout the electoral process.
Among those present during the inspection were Additional Deputy Commissioner (Urban Development) Amarjeet Bains, Assistant Deputy Commissioner of Police (ADCP) Sukhwinder Singh, Election Tehsildar Sukhdev Singh, senior election officials and representatives of various political parties.
Subsequently, the Chief Electoral Officer chaired a detailed review meeting with the Deputy Commissioner-cum-District Election Officer, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) and other election officials to assess the progress of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 of the electoral rolls in the district.
Reviewing the implementation of the SIR programme, Anindita Mitra directed the officers to ensure that the rationalisation of polling stations, scheduled to be completed by July 24, 2026, is carried out strictly within the prescribed timeline and in full compliance with the instructions issued by the Election Commission of India. She emphasized that proper rationalisation of polling stations is essential for enhancing voter convenience and ensuring efficient electoral management.
The Chief Electoral Officer also reviewed the ongoing door-to-door household survey being undertaken by the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) under the SIR exercise. She informed that the survey will continue until July 24, 2026, and urged the field functionaries to ensure comprehensive coverage so that every eligible elector is reached during the revision process.
She stated that the names of electors whose Enumeration Forms are received during the survey will be included in the Draft Electoral Roll, which is scheduled to be published on August 3, 2026.
Anindita Mitra further informed that claims and objections regarding the Draft Electoral Roll will be accepted from August 3 to September 2, 2026. The statutory process of issuing notices and disposal of claims and objections will be undertaken from August 3 to September 28, 2026, while the Final Electoral Roll will be published on October 1, 2026, after completing all prescribed procedures.
Highlighting the importance of the Special Intensive Revision, the Chief Electoral Officer said that the exercise is aimed at ensuring that every eligible citizen finds a place in the electoral roll while ineligible, duplicate or incorrect entries are identified and removed in accordance with the law. She said that accurate, updated and error-free electoral rolls form the cornerstone of free, fair and transparent elections and called upon all election officials to discharge their responsibilities with dedication, impartiality and utmost professionalism.
Anindita Mitra also appealed to all eligible citizens to actively cooperate with the Booth Level Officers during the ongoing survey and ensure timely submission of the required Enumeration Forms and relevant documents so that their names are correctly reflected in the electoral rolls.