Panjim, Jan 12 (IANS) The Election Commission of India on Monday tried to clear the air on a personal hearing notice issued to former Navy Chief Admiral Arun Prakash and his wife, saying that columns left blank in the Enumeration Form filled by the veteran had triggered the notice for physical verification.

The Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) of Cortalim Assembly constituency in Goa said in a statement that during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, the Booth Level Officer (BLO) of Part No. 43 of Cortalim Assembly Constituency collected the Enumeration Form on Admiral Arun Prakash (Retired).

“It was observed that the said enumeration form did not contain the mandatory particulars relating to the previous SIR, including the name of the elector, EPIC number, name of the relative, name and number of the Assembly Constituency, Part number, and serial number in the electoral roll,” said the ERO.

In the absence of these essential identification details, the BLO Application was unable to establish an automatic linkage between the submitted Enumeration Form and the existing electoral roll database, the official said.

As all the fields about the last SIR were left blank, the system categorised the Enumeration Form under the “unmapped” category, the ERO said.

The BLO application is designed to automatically map Enumeration Forms only when the prescribed identification particulars are duly filled in, enabling verification with the existing electoral roll, said the official.

In cases where Enumeration Forms remain unmapped, the SIR process mandates further verification through a hearing mechanism, he said.

Accordingly, as per the standard, system-driven procedure, a hearing notice was automatically generated and issued to enable verification of the elector’s details and ensure due opportunity for confirmation of eligibility, he said.

Earlier, Admiral Arun Prakash had voiced his pain, in two posts over two days, on notices being issued for physical verification to him and his wife on two different dates and at two different election offices, about 18 km apart.

While not seeking any special treatment, the former Navy Chief also suggested changes in the Enumeration Form and better training of Booth Level Officers to prevent gaps in filling forms. He pointed out that the BLO had visited his residence thrice, but despite this, the form could not be filled to the ECI’s satisfaction.

–IANS

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