No grilling for eager electorate

The officers just accept the form and write in one column, 8220;Koi purava raju karel nathi No documentary proof has been submitted.8221; But they also assure you that you need not worry and that your name will be included in the electoral rolls. Forms are also being accepted in bulk. On Sunday, a member of the Memnagar Nagar Palika submitted a bundle of forms at Maharaja Agrasen School, which was accepted without verification.

Chief Electoral Officer Balwant Singh said that the names of all those who had applied for registration as voters would be displayed at the office of the Mamlatdar for seven days, and anyone can file an objection. If no objection was received, the names would be included in the electoral rolls. Besides, the Malatdar can conduct an inquiry on his own. But why not do the preliminary checks? Doesn8217;t the absence of verification mean an open invitation to bogus voters?

Also, applications for change of registration are being handled in a most questionable manner. This correspondent went to Sharda Mandir, at Sonal Crossroads, to get the names of his family members deleted from the voters list of Government Officers Colony, Vastrapur, and registered in Sunset Row Houses, in Memnagar. The officer concerned told him there was no need to delete the names from the old address.

8220;Just fill up this form,8221; the officer said. He did not ask for any proof of residence, or age. What about the column where you have to give the old address? 8220;Just strike it out,8221; the officer replied. The form was duly filled up and submitted at Maharaja Agrasen School, and an acknowledgement obtained. It was the same story at many other places. How will the names be deleted from the original address?

Daxini said officers maybe following this procedure out of ignorance. In case of doubt about the identity of an applicant, the officers were supposed to ask him to present himself before the Mamlatdar on a date which was mentioned on the acknowledgement, Daxini said. But the officers were actually not writing any date.

Enrollment forms and acknowledgement receipts were not available at Sharda Vidya Mandir near Subhash Chowk, Maharaja Agrasen Vidyalaya, Panchayat Balmandir at Memnagar, Government Prathmik School at Memnagar, Government School in the Government Officers Colony at Vastrapaur, Government Prathmik Shala in Vastrapur Village and at the L.G. Commerce College.

Officers issued each visitor one form, and asked him to make photocopies and fill these up. For acknowledgement receipts, they were asked to contact the Panchayat office later. Daxini admitted that there was a shortage of forms and acknowledgement receipts because new residences had come up in certain areas.