UP Chief Electoral Officer warns DEOs, holds them accountable for voter list lapses

UP Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa directed DEOs to monitor electoral roll work daily. The instructions fix accountability for delays, errors, unresolved complaints and supervisory lapses.

In Short

• UP CEO warns DEOs on accountability for electoral roll lapses
• DEOs must monitor voter list tasks daily via ECINET
• Pending voter applications to be cleared promptly

Uttar Pradesh Chief Electoral Officer Navdeep Rinwa has warned District Election Officers (DEOs) of accountability and possible action over negligence, delays and lapses in work related to electoral rolls, directing them to personally monitor voter list-related activities on a daily basis.

Making it clear that the responsibility for maintaining accurate, error-free and updated electoral rolls rests ultimately with the DEOs, Rinwa has instructed them to log in to the Election Commission's ECINET platform every day and review pending applications, complaints and the performance of officials involved in the process.

He said the responsibility for coordinating, supervising and monitoring electoral roll-related work, including quality control, cannot be passed on solely to Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) or subordinate officials. Any unnecessary pendency, inactive user accounts, incomplete profiles, errors in voter lists or laxity in supervision could invite accountability, with action to be considered based on the circumstances of each case.

DEOS ASKED TO REVIEW PENDING VOTER APPLICATIONS DAILY

Under the directions, DEOs must monitor the receipt and disposal of Forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8 on a daily basis to ensure that applications are processed within stipulated timelines. These forms relate to voter registration, registration of overseas electors, objections to or deletion of names from electoral rolls, and corrections or changes in voter details.

They have also been asked to verify the profiles of Deputy DEOs, EROs, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), BLO supervisors and Booth Level Officers (BLOs). Their names, mobile numbers, designations and photographs must be accurate and updated. The last login activity of these officials must also be checked every day.

Any application pending unnecessarily at the ERO or AERO marking stage must be cleared without delay. Applications pertaining to another district should be forwarded immediately to the concerned DEO, while those assigned to the wrong ERO or AERO must be reassigned to the correct official. Unmarked applications must also be assigned to the appropriate authority promptly.

COMPLAINTS TO BE REVIEWED, OFFICIALS' PERFORMANCE MONITORED

Rinwa has also directed DEOs to ensure the timely and satisfactory resolution of complaints concerning electoral rolls and Electors Photo Identity Cards (EPICs).

Complaints received through the National Grievance Service Portal (NGSP) and other channels must be reviewed daily, with pending cases taken up on priority. The DEOs or senior officers nominated by them must conduct random checks of responses to complaints to ensure that they have been resolved substantively rather than through merely formal replies.

Officials have also been asked to examine the reasons behind delays in individual cases and fix responsibility wherever necessary. DEOs must hold weekly review meetings to assess the progress of pending applications and complaints and ensure that their disposal is transparent, accurate and in accordance with Election Commission guidelines.

BLOS TO FACE ACTION IF THEY FAIL TO RESPOND WITHIN 48 HOURS

The Chief Electoral Officer has separately issued directions regarding the 'Book a Call with BLO' facility available on the ECINET app and the Election Commission's citizen services portal, voters.eci.gov.in.

Under the facility, no call request made by a voter should remain pending for more than 48 hours. Strict action has been warned against BLOs who fail to respond within the prescribed period or mark a request as 'Contacted' or 'Unavailable' without actually getting in touch with the concerned voter.

Rinwa has also cautioned officials against sharing their login credentials, including user IDs, passwords and one-time passwords (OTPs), with anyone else.

DEOS TO ENSURE COMPLIANCE WITH EC INSTRUCTIONS

The directions are aimed at ensuring that electoral roll-related work is carried out in accordance with the Representation of the People Act, 1950, the Registration of Electors Rules, 1960, and guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India.

Rinwa has asked DEOs to ensure strict compliance with all instructions issued by the Election Commission and the Chief Electoral Officer's office, while also taking corrective or disciplinary action against subordinate officials wherever required.

He reiterated that maintaining accurate and updated voter lists is fundamental to the democratic process and that all related work must be handled with the highest priority, seriousness and sensitivity.

- Ends