New Delhi, July 10 (IANS) As many as 5.22 crore enumeration forms, accounting for 66.16 per cent of the total of 7.89 crore existing electors in Bihar, have been collected in the last 16 days as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls launched on June 24, an ECI official said on Thursday.

Maintaining the same momentum on the field, the exercise of collecting the Enumeration Forms could be completed well before the stipulated date of July 25, said the official on a day when the Supreme Court refused to stay the ongoing exercise in the poll-bound state.

The Election Commission of India (ECI) said that during the past 16 days, 7.90 crore forms were printed and nearly 98 per cent forms (7.71 crore) have already been distributed to the electors whose names were in the electoral roll as on June 24.

The electors still have 15 more days left to submit the form, said a statement.

The poll panel said the exercise involves 77,895 Booth Level Officers and over 4 lakh volunteers who are supporting the elderly, the disabled, sick and vulnerable populations.

The exercise is supported by 1.56 lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by all recognised political parties, and has resulted in the collection of 66.16 per cent enumeration forms.

The EC said in its statement, “By 6 p.m. today, 5,22,44,956 enumeration forms, which is 66.16 per cent of the total of 7,89,69,844 (nearly 7.90 crore) existing electors in Bihar, have been collected in the last 16 days.”

Earlier, the Supreme Court asked the ECI to consider “in the interest of justice” if documents such as Aadhaar, Voter ID and Ration Cards could be accepted for the purpose of verification of voters during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls in poll-bound Bihar.

A Bench of Justices Sudhanshu Dhulia and Joymalya Bagchi was dealing with a batch of petitions claiming that if the June 26 decision of the poll body directing SIR is not set aside, it can “arbitrarily” and “without due process” disenfranchise lakhs of voters from electing their representatives, and disrupt free and fair elections and democracy.

Noting that the draft revised rolls will be published in August, the Supreme Court listed the matter for further hearing on July 28 before a regular Bench.

–IANS

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