Election Commission should safeguard rights of voters in ‘no mapping’ list: Kerala Minister P. Rajeeve

Minister for Industries P. Rajeeve has expressed concerns over the chances of persons figuring in the ‘no mapping list’ in Ernakulam district as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls getting excluded from the final list.

Of the total 2,06,061 people included in this category in the district, notices for hearings had been delivered to only about 4,642 persons, as the process was scheduled to begin on Tuesday and conclude on January 28, he said here on Monday.

He said that the Thripunithura Assembly constituency has the highest number of persons figuring in the ‘no mapping’ list — 33,023. In Ernakulam and Thrikkakara, the corresponding figures were 26,544 and 24,650 respectively, he added.

‘Exemption denied’

Mr. Rajeeve pointed out that the State Election Commission had initially said that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) would verify the documents of those included in the ‘no mapping’ list and upload them, with a view to exempting them from hearings. The BLOs have already uploaded the documents of about 52,216 such persons in Ernakulam. However, the commission is now saying that they should also appear for hearings, he said.

The Minister said that the issue could have been easily avoided had the commission implemented its earlier assurance that hearings could be dispensed with in cases where electors submit sufficient documents and these are examined and found satisfactory at the level of the electoral registration officer in each constituency.

He added that the government would set up help desks in all village offices to assist the public and ensure that their names figure in the final rolls. At least two officials would be deployed at each help desk, he said.

The Minister said that the government does not hold the view that the inclusion of persons under the ‘no mapping’ list targets any community. However, nobody should lose the right to exercise their franchise because of technical errors, he added.