Chief Electoral Officer BDR Tiwari on Tuesday said the Election Department is fully prepared to carry out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Meghalaya once the schedule is announced by the Election Commission of India.
Speaking to reporters, Tiwari said the department was awaiting official notification from the Commission and assured that the revision process would be conducted transparently and strictly in accordance with the prescribed guidelines.
The Election Commission is expected to roll out Phase Ill of the nationwide SIR exercise in the coming days, covering the remaining 22 states and Union Territories, including Meghalaya.
Officials said the exercise would involve nearly 40 crore electors who have not yet been part of the intensive revision process.
The rollout in these states had earlier been deferred due to Assembly elections in states such as Kerala, Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam and the Union Territory of Puducherry.
For Meghalaya, the exercise carries added significance given longstanding concerns raised by tribal
organisations and political parties over illegal immigration, duplicate entries and non-genuine voters, particularly due to the state’s porous border with Bangladesh.