ECI reviews SSR with all 20 DEOs
Excelsior Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 3: The Election Commission of India (ECI) today reviewed the ongoing Special Summary Revision (SSR) of electoral rolls and related issues in Jammu and Kashmir at a meeting through video conferencing from New Delhi.
The meeting lasted over two hours, official sources told the Excelsior.
It was scheduled for 12 noon today but was deferred by few hours and started at 5 pm.
All senior officers from the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and 20 Deputy Commissioners of Jammu and Kashmir, who have been designated as District Election Officers (DEOs), attended the meeting, which was chaired by Dharmendra Sharma, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner in the Election Commission of India.
The meeting reviewed ongoing Special Summary Revision and Photo Electoral Rolls with reference to October 1, 2022 as the qualifying date.
The Election Commission of India officials took feedback from the District Election Officers on the latest status of Special Summary Revision and the problems, if any, faced by them.
The District Election Officers are reported to have raised a number of queries pertaining to the Special Summary Revision during the meeting which were replied by the ECI officials, sources said.
Sources said the major focus remained on Special Summary Revision especially the enrolment of new voters so that the youths who are eligible to become voters are not left out.
More such meetings are likely to be held in future before publication of final electoral rolls in Jammu and Kashmir.
Final Electoral Rolls of Jammu and Kashmir are scheduled to be published on November 25, as per the schedule notified by the Election Commission of India as well as the Chief Electoral Officer, J&K.
The Integrated Draft Electoral Rolls were published on September 25 by all 20 DEOs while the voters can file claims and objections till October 25, which will be disposed of till November 10. Checking of health parameters and obtaining Commission’s permission for final publication and updating database and printing of supplements will take place by November 19 while final electoral rolls will be out on November 25.
As per the sources, the Election Commission is anticipating significant increase in number of electorates as Special Summary Revision hasn’t been held in Jammu and Kashmir for the last three years. It was not held in 2019 due to August 5 decisions of the Central Government withdrawing special status of erstwhile State and bifurcating it into two Union Territories of J&K and Ladakh. It couldn’t be held again in 2020 and 2021 due to delimitation exercise.
There seems to be no possibility of conduct of Assembly elections in Jammu and Kashmir this year as after publication of final electoral rolls on November 25, harsh winter season will start from December and last till February. However, there are speculations that if everything goes well, the Assembly elections might be held in Jammu and Kashmir in April-May next year.
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