‘Visited BLO 10 times, every visit costs me a day’s work’: Vendors bear the brunt of SIR notices

Subodh Kumar has lost count of the number of times he abandoned his vending cart to meet his Booth Level Officer (BLO) last week

Subodh Kumar has lost count of the number of times he abandoned his vending cart to meet his Booth Level Officer (BLO) last week. “I have made at least 8-10 visits to the BLO. Every visit costs me a day’s work,” said the 48-year-old who moved to Delhi from Munger with his parents in 1984.

‘Visited BLO 10 times, every visit costs me a day’s work’: Vendors bear the brunt of SIR notices

Subodh is certified as a street vendor by the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) under the Street Vendors Act. His Special Intensive Revision (SIR) notice, however, stated that neither he nor his family could be mapped to the 2002 rolls. “I am certified by the MCD under the Vendors Act. When they introduced the act, they made it mandatory for vendors to have a Delhi address on their Aadhaar card. What if I’m struck off the rolls and tomorrow they say they will accredit only vendors who are Delhi voters?” he asked.

In Mangol Puri, 77-year-old Shanti Devi was caught in the same bind. She could not be linked to the 2002 rolls, despite having lived in the area her entire life. “I have received a notice and now I have to physically appear before the BLO,” she said. “My children tell me there is a lot of chaos and rush at the centres where these hearings take place. Mine is scheduled at a school nearby but at this age I should not be made to run around to prove that I am a legitimate voter.”

Both Subodh and Shanti are part of 3.3 million people identified in the Capital under two categories: “no mapping” and “logical discrepancies”. Of these, 3.16 million have been served notices. Among the prominent people sent notices were external affairs minister S Jaishankar, chief minister Rekha Gupta, former chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, former deputy prime minister LK Advani, and election commissioner SS Sandhu.

These so-called VIP voters were not required to visit the hearing centres. Electoral Registration Officers instead drew up a list of such cases and sent BLOs directly to their homes to verify and resolve the discrepancies. Rekha Gupta’s entry, for example, was flagged over an age-related discrepancy in her enumeration form. Officials said that once her documents were verified, her entry was validated for inclusion in the final roll. Sandhu’s entry, similarly flagged, was also validated. Both cases were disposed of in less than a day.

Senior officials at the Election Commission of India and Delhi CEO’s office said the poll body tried to make the process smooth for everyone, not just VVIPs. “Those who do not wish to appear in person can pursue their disposal online. Senior citizens can request BLOs to visit their homes. We have been holding awareness drives across Delhi to inform people about this,” an official said.

But Kumar or Devi were not convinced. “Why would a BLO come to my house or be prompt with my application. He has hundreds like me to deal with. I am not a VIP, after all,” Subodh said.

Since the claims and objections period opened on August 31, Delhi CEO’s office saw 92,284 Form 6 applications filed by new electors or someone who shifted residence; 180 Form 6A applications filed by NRI electors seeking enrollment; 1,484 Form 7 applications filed to object to another person’s inclusion in the roll, or to seek deletion of an entry, such as for someone deceased or who has permanently moved; and 33,353 Form 8 applications filed for correction of entries already in the roll, such as fixing an address or replacing an EPIC card.