'1 PM Slot, Number Came At 3 PM': Long Waits, Technical Glitches Leave Delhi Voters Frustrated At SIR Hearings

Jagran Correspondent, Delhi: Voters turning up for hearings under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Delhi on Saturday were left waiting well beyond their allotted time slots, with some saying their numbers were called hours after the time mentioned in their notices.

Some voters also alleged that officials misbehaved with them when they questioned the delays.

“I was given a 1 pm slot in the notice, but my number came around 3 pm,” said Nimmi Rani, who reached the Government Boys Senior Secondary School in Rajouri Garden on Saturday for a hearing under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).

She said some people had Aadhaar cards in their hands, while others sat at the centre with files containing various documents. People had been called according to different time slots, but the hearings moved so slowly that many had to wait for one and a half to two hours beyond their scheduled time.

According to Jagran.com, voters had begun arriving at the centre early in the morning. Some had taken leave from work, while elderly residents came accompanied by family members. Despite reaching the centre at the time specified in their notices, many said they were not given a clear indication of when their hearings would actually take place.

The long wait added to the frustration. Some voters, after spending hours in queues and waiting for their tokens, eventually left without having their hearings conducted. They said that once specific slots and tokens had been allotted, the hearings should have been conducted accordingly.

One woman said her token number was 175 and that she waited for around an hour and 15 minutes after her scheduled time had passed. However, she could not get the required correction made and eventually had to leave.

Woman Alleges Misbehaviour Over Delay

Renu, another voter who had come to the centre for her hearing alleged that a BLO staff member misbehaved with her when she asked about the reason for the delay and allegedly threatened her with police action.

Renu said she had left her young children at home and was repeatedly asking how long she would have to wait. She questioned the purpose of assigning time slots if voters were still required to wait for several hours.

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Voters Receive Notices Despite Names Appearing on Draft Roll

Another issue reported during the SIR process is that some voters have received notices despite their names appearing in the draft electoral roll.

At the Anglo Arabic Primary School in Mohalla Qabristan, located in the Matia Mahal Assembly constituency, BLOs have set up a camp to assist voters and issue notices in cases where discrepancies have been found in documents or where the age difference between siblings is less than one year.

Officials are also dealing with problems related to the incorrect filling in of details pertaining to 2002. BLO teams for polling station numbers 77, 78, 79, 80, 82 and 83 are hearing voters' concerns and providing information about the documents and procedures required to address the discrepancies.

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App Glitches Add to Delays

Naveen Kumar, AERO of Rajouri Garden, said another reason for the crowd was that several people arrived at the centre according to their convenience rather than their allotted time slots.

He also said technical issues with the ELO app were contributing to delays, as it was taking longer to complete the process for each voter.

According to Kumar, hearings were being conducted for all voters, while those unable to get their hearings completed at their allotted time were being given alternative slots.

( With inputs from Shashi Thakur )