SHILLONG, APR 1: Under pressure, the East Khasi hills district administration on Wednesday night ordered cancellation of the hearing for voter’s enrollment proposed to be held on Thursday and also announced reverting to holding the hearing in the respective block and village level.
“The hearing slated for tomorrow has been cancelled,” deputy commissioner Sanjay Goyal informed.
The decision came a day after the ngos threatened to stage a showdown if the hearing was held as slated in DC’s office on April 2. The proposed hearing was for verifying the applicants from Lyngkhat village under Pynursla constituency.
Goyal also informed, “We have also decided that such hearings will be held at the respective block and village level as was done earlier.”
The ngos had decided to go ahead with their protest tomorrow as they said that they did not receive any official communication regarding cancellation of the hearing.
Goyal, however, reiterated, “It is for sure that there will not be any hearing in the DC office tomorrow.”
The KSU had questioned the motive behind issuing of notice to eight non-indigenous people from Lyngkhat village by the DC despite the fact that applications were rejected twice in 2012 and 2013.
When enquired about this, Goyal said, “It is difficult to keep track on the cases from previous years in view of the thousands of applicants.”
Stating that every applicant have the right to be heard, Goyal said, “But if such applicants have been rejected twice it means nothing has change in between. There should not be any apprehension that this time also that they will not be rejected.”
Meanwhile in a press statement issued by Goyal, it was informed that updation of the Electoral Rolls is the part of the Continuous/Summary Revision mandated by the Election Commission of India. This includes corrections, modifications, deletions as well as inclusion of names.
Concerns have been raised regarding the procedures adopted in taking up this exercise by various Electoral Registration Officers (EROs)/Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs) in disposal of various forms submitted in this regard, the statement said.
“It is hereby clarified that hearing for all the forms as applied for, will be held at various locations in the blocks and rural areas in the various Assembly Constituencies in the district as done in the past,” Goyal stated in the press communiqué.
Goyal further stated that it is also clarified that the hearings are conducted by the ERO/AERO concerned who are State Government Officials performing their duties as per the relevant Acts and Rules, provisions and instructions of the Election Commission of India.
Goyal said the ERO/AERO has to satisfy himself/herself about the eligibility of the person before taking a final decision after the hearing, the DC said adding the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been appointed for every Polling Booth to conduct preliminary enquiry on the spot and assist the ERO/AERO for the purpose of hearing
All the Political Parties have been contacted in the past and have been encouraged to appoint Booth Level Agents who can also help the EROs/AEROs in this exercise, Goyal added.- By Our Reporter
Well done KSU! I appreciate your ideology.