Karnal (Haryana) [India], June 21 (ANI): Union Minister Manohar Lal Khattar filled out his Special Intensive Revision (SIR) form on Sunday, stating that the revision of electoral rolls in Haryana is progressing smoothly, with a substantial number of voters already receiving enumeration forms as part of the exercise being conducted by the Election Commission.
Speaking to the media, Khattar said that in Karnal district alone, 92 per cent of the forms have been distributed.
“The process of the special intensive revision of the voter list in Haryana is proceeding very well. In Karnal district, 92 per cent of the forms have been distributed. Out of the district’s 12,25,661 voters, 11,30,623 individuals have already received the forms,” he said.
Providing state-wide figures, the Union Minister said Haryana had over 2.06 crore registered voters in the previous electoral roll and that more than 1.57 crore forms had already been distributed.
“There are 20,655,929 voters registered in the previous voter list in Haryana. So far, 15,732,915 forms have been distributed, representing 76 per cent coverage. The distribution rate has been lower in the Faridabad and Gurugram districts due to the large migrant population there. Today, I also filled out my SIR form; I am a registered voter in Karnal,” Khattar added.
Defending the revision exercise, Khattar described it as a routine responsibility of the Election Commission and said similar revisions had been undertaken in the past.
“Revising the voter list is a routine function of the Election Commission. A special revision takes place every twenty years; a similar exercise was conducted in 2005,” he said.
Targeting opposition parties over their criticism of the exercise, Khattar alleged that objections were being raised over the removal of ineligible voters.
“It is crucial to remove fraudulent votes wherever they exist. This reform process will lead to a higher voter turnout in elections. Removing fake voters leaves only genuine voters, which is expected to increase the voting percentage,” he said.
Khattar also said that delimitation would not alter the number of Lok Sabha and Assembly seats allotted to states, while the increase in seats due to the 33 per cent reservation for women would apply to both Parliament and state legislatures. He further stated that a single voter list would be used as the basis for Lok Sabha, Assembly, local body and Panchayat elections. (ANI)