Patna, Aug 24(HS): The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar has entered its final stretch on a strong note, with documents of 98.2% electors already collected even as eight days remain before the September 1 deadline for filing claims and objections.

The Enumeration phase of the exercise, carried out between June 24 and July 25, was followed by the publication of draft rolls on August 1. Since then, electors have been given a one-month window to submit supporting documents, update details, or file corrections.

According to the office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) Bihar, the large-scale drive has seen remarkable participation: in just 60 days, nearly all of the 7.24 crore registered electors have completed their documentation. On average, officials recorded a submission rate of 1.64% per day, leaving only 1.8% of electors yet to turn in papers.

The Election Commission of India has commended the efforts of Bihar’s election machinery, comprising 38 District Election Officers, 243 Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), 2,976 Assistant EROs and 90,712 Booth Level Officers (BLOs), supported by lakhs of volunteers and representatives from all 12 major political parties. Around 1.60 lakh Booth Level Agents appointed by the parties have also been engaged at the grassroots level.

The ECI noted that the current phase is not only helping rectify errors in the draft rolls but also accommodating new entrants. Over 3.28 lakh first-time voters, who turn 18 by July 1 or October 1, have applied using Form 6 submissions. As of now, 0.16% of electors have filed claims and objections — including over 1.2 lakh corrections sought within constituencies.

The Commission announced that verification of eligibility documents is being conducted simultaneously by EROs and AEROs. Pending claims and objections will be resolved by September 25, while the final electoral rolls are scheduled for publication on September 30, 2025.

Officials expressed confidence that like the enumeration phase, the documentation process will wrap up ahead of schedule, ensuring Bihar is fully prepared for the next electoral cycle.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar