New Delhi, September 1(HS): The Supreme Court, headed by a bench led by Justice Suryakant, on Monday directed paralegal volunteers to assist voters in Bihar during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, particularly in filing claims and objections on the draft voter list. The Election Commission informed the Court that there is no deadline for filing claims or objections regarding the draft list, allowing submissions at any time.

The Court observed that the core issue stems from a lack of trust. In response to petitions filed by RJD and AIMIM seeking an extension for filing claims and objections during Bihar’s SIR, the Court had earlier ruled on August 22 that voters omitted from the list can apply online without the need to physically fill out forms. It clarified that a claims form can be submitted with any one of 11 designated documents by the Election Commission, including just the Aadhaar card.

Additionally, the Court instructed Bihar’s 12 recognized political parties to direct their booth-level agents to help eligible voters get their names included on the electoral rolls. All recognized parties in Bihar, including those not yet petitioners, were also ordered to participate as stakeholders in the ongoing process. This landmark direction aims to ensure an inclusive and transparent voter revision, addressing concerns about electoral representation in Bihar.

---------------

Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar