NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday said that the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar is proceeding as scheduled. The Commission clarified that decisions on all claims and objections, along with verification of eligibility documents, will be completed by September 25, and the final electoral rolls will be published on September 30. “Out of 7.24 crore electors in the draft rolls, only 0.16 per cent claims and objections have been received so far. As per SIR orders, no name can be deleted from the draft list published on August 1, 2025, without a speaking order by the ERO/AERO, after conducting an enquiry and providing a fair and reasonable opportunity,” the Commission stated. The announcement comes amid criticism from Opposition parties questioning the credibility of the SIR process, though the poll body has maintained that it is adhering strictly to rules. In its press release, the ECI noted that the enumeration phase of the SIR was successfully carried out between June 24 and July 25, 2025, followed by publication of draft rolls on August 1. The claims and objections period runs from August 1 to September 1. The Commission commended the efforts of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Bihar, district election officers (DEOs), 243 electoral registration officers (EROs), 2,976 assistant EROs, over 90,000 booth-level officers (BLOs), lakhs of volunteers, and representatives from 12 major political parties, including 1.6 lakh booth-level agents (BLAs). According to the office of the CEO, Bihar, documents of 98.2 per cent electors have already been submitted between June 24 and August 24, averaging about 1.64 per cent per day. With eight days remaining until the September 1 deadline, only 1.8 per cent electors are yet to submit documents, and BLOs and volunteers are actively assisting in the process.
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