Checking Draft Roll 2011 before Draft Publication 2011

Please download the attachment sent over e mail. Our strategy would be to work in two steps.

1. Screen checking of the PDF cds to be collected from corresponding SDO office on 14 th (we would be getting on 13 th night), to be done preferably by BDO/ JT. BDO with a laptop handy during puja leisure.Check all the parts top sheet, sample check entries in each part.

Of the attachments sent first three points need to be checked sincerely on screen. Please note that PDF files would be given. There is a search option at the top, you can enter the sl. no. of elector in the search box and get to see the entry.

Also have in hand the total number of electors existing in srer 2010 final roll. You have to check that this number tallies with the elector strength given in the integrated roll, this will found from the top sheet of the roll given in the PDF.

Once the above is found correct sample check that the number of electors given in the top sheet are actually existing in the roll.

Identify the defective parts.

2. Send staff to check the full population of the entries of those parts on 19th OCT so as to complete the job by 19 th OCTOBER. Only after this checking is complete we would send it to the CEO office for correction. After correction we can print the roll to be published on 30th Oct. Also printig takes time.

A Dhar

Some problems and solutions

Situation 1

In AC 252, five electors are found to have entered their name in part 83 as shifted elector bearing EPICs , from other AC. Thereafter, it has been confirmed that they actually have shifted from Jharkhand and are actually now elector of part no. 83. However at the time of writing of manuscript another set of manuscript has been found on the top of that sheet part no 115 has been found to be written erroneously. So simultaneously their names have also figured in part 115 as new elector and the entries are without photographs.

Solution

Form 7 may be collected or, BLOs may be asked to verify the actual status. Thereafter on the basis of documents and after following stipulated proceedure the wrong entries may be corrected. However, one issue may be borne in mind, which is, if deletion is made the EPIC photograph also gets deleted. In the pretext of the above two situations arise.

Case 1

It may happen that the entries without photograph is in the correct part and/or section of the part where the elector is actually residing ordinarily. The duplicate wrong entries with photograph in the same/different part of the same AC

In this case, as there is provision of the ERO correcting the roll as per sec 22 of RPA 1950, the correct entries which are without photo may be deleted as first step invoking the said section of the RPA, 1950 and thereafter, the duplicate wrong entries may be corrected by moving them from wrong part/ section to the correct part/ section.

This saves our efforts on deleting an already existing EPIC and alloting another EPIC. One small problem remains that the EPIC of the wrong entry if already issued will show the incorrect adress and the elector will have to correct the address on his own initiative.

Case 2

The above situation may arise with the elector name getting duplicated in another AC. Here the incorrect entry will have to be deleted irrespective of whether there is EPIC or not.

Situation 2

A girl bearing EPIC marries into the same part but different section of the same AC. What modality to be adopted? Is form 8a to be used ?

Solution

Form 8a will not be accepted by the software as no change in part number is taking place. Often to bypass this situation the name is first deleted then the name is entered afresh. So naturally the EPIC gets deleted as well. It is not admissible. So, here form 8 for correction of elector entry is to be used. Only question remains that in this case the surname gets changed and also the linkages changes from father to husband. In the present state of the software this is allowed.

Rationalisation of Polling Station

Please find the formats CTR-1 & CTR-2 and download and print them at Block level. All the communications regarding rationalisation/bifurcation are to be read carefully.

Regarding, CTR-1 collumn number 11 &12 where new part and section after rationalisation is to be written. >> Here BDOs are asked to give the notation for new part no. after rationalisation as given during setting up of Auxiliary polling station at the time of Election. For example, in 249AC suppose after doing field work, subject to availability of suitable building and without breaking any section of a polling station anywhere and with unanimous approval of recognised political parties, three polling stations have been identified for bifurcation, say, p.s no 3, 18, 63 as appearing in the to be published final roll. In this case, the CTR-1 col.11 would show p.s. no 3 and 3a, 18 and 18a & 63 and 63a in the respective cells.

We at District would be assigning new part number for that AC in a consolidated manner after getting reports from all the blocks pertaining to that AC.

Polling stations with above 1200 electors- Actual list

O my dear brother BDOs, the Crown Jewels of Bankura districts, I congratulate you on the dedication and spirit shown. All(almost) our manuscripts are on the table for data entry.

I am loosing control..... I can not help being effusive.

Now, coming to business. All you BDOs must have calculated all the voters who are going to be added in the draft roll part-wise. On the basis of that calculation generate the list of polling stations with above 1200 voters. Bifurcate only these polling stations.

BDOs of 251 AC, 249 AC, 253 AC are requested to keep ready team for checking of checkprints on SUNDAY, the 12 th of September, at respective SDO offices. Final program will be communicated tomorrow.

EPIC program- soft skill requirements

In the EPIC program to be conducted by the blocks between 8th September to 12th September, where the BDOs are required hire camera with cameramen, the following are the mandatory requirements from the cameramen:

1. Camera must be at least 8 megapixel with medium resolution and having memory card of adequate capacity, with charger and 4 rechargable cells(battery).

2. Every day before going for photo taking the camera must be formated, and every day the photos taken must be downloaded at the block office computer.

3. The block office computer must have updated antivirus, else the camera might malfunction. At the end of the program the stored images with 001c will be handed over to the vendor for data entry at the subdivision.

4. The folder storing the images must be AC wise, cameramanwise and the subfolder must be datewise.

5. On the top of the 001C forms, the cameramen must write a) the serial number/ image number of the photo taken (multiple serial number for multiple snaps of a single voter, without deleting any, or else the continuity of serial number might get broken and confusion may be caused) as appearing in the camera (some go in descending order some in ascending order) at the time of photo taking. b) The date of taking of photograph must be noted. c) The name of the cameraman must be written . d) The sex of the voter (male or female) whose image is taken, for crosschecking and for instilling more attention on the part of cameraman so that he checks if he is taking the picture of the voter whose form 001c has been taken.

Non Force Measures for Free and Fair Election

1. Cell phones turned into webcam with the help of software can be handed over to Observers, Magistrates and Micro-observers moving from booth to booth on the election day for transmitting live streaming videos of occurrences that need special attention or as a means of general surveillance. The no. of frames captured and transmitted by the webcam is based on the data transmitting speed of internet wherever accessible over cell phones.

At present though the above is technically and theoretically possible, the practical and technical aspects on the field needs to be assessed and for this purpose the service of the software engineers need to be taken and the internet service providers will have to be talked with.

2. SMS based monitoring: In many elections held all over the World in the recent past this tool has been quite effectively used. In the Indian context, the microobservers and /or booth level contact persons may be provided with cashcards for their mobiles they may be given a set of codes which have preassigned meaning and they may be asked to sms to a particular number. This number may be tagged with a computer kept in the district headquarters which will interpret the codes and set a standard reaction pattern wherin the operator in charge of the computer sends parts of the message to Returning officer/Observer/Magistrate on duty as per the predetermined response protocol. For this bulk SMS ing will have to be dealt with. SMS gateways and the Election Commission will have to come to an agreement for operationalisation of the system.

3. Citizen-reporting: Again here the SMS technology may be utilized. SMS to a particular number may be made of subsidized rate wherein the citizens may report any untoward incident in the vicinity of the polling booth from a week before poll date to about three days after the poll day. It is the time manipulations if any are generally organized by political parties, these if dealt with in a firm hand will serve two purpose. Firstly, it will increase the confidence and the participatory spirit of the General Electorate in the democratic process. Secondly, it will weed out unfair interference and manipulations by the Political Parties. The subsidized mobile number where such SMS can be sent will have to be adequately publicized in the local newspapers, cable channels. The SMS received will be monitored from a PC where the complaints will be categorized and action will be taken as per a standard protocol

For this, the SMS gateways , the mobile service providers and the Commission will have to finalise the terms of the workability of the above arrangement.

4. Close Monitoring of Hyper sensitive booths: This can be done based on records of previous elections, like the margin of the winning candidate, percentage of voting, history of post poll/ pre poll law and order violations, prevailing law and order situation, etc. On the basis of vulnerability mapping, the hyper sensitive polling booths can be identified. Hidden cameras can be installed in such booths and monitoring by means of Close Circuit Television may be carried out from some central location like the Sector Office or the SDO office. Teams may be kept ready to rush to those polling stations as and when needed.

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Contact this office for further details.

Citizenship Revisited

There are the following aspects:- A)Flowing from the Constitution of India 1)Citizenship at the commencement of this Constitution. 2)Rights of citizenship of certain persons who have migrated to India from Pakistan.

B)Flowing from enactments of the Parliament, the following modes of acquisition of Citizenship 1)Citizenship by Birth 2)Citizenship by Descent 3)Citizenship by Registration 4)Citizenship by Naturalisation.

Constitutional provisions:-

A)1) Citizenship at the commencement of the Constitution.—At the commencement of this Constitution, every person who has his domicile in the territory of India and—
(a) who was born in the territory of India; or
(b) either of whose parents was born in the territory of India; or
(c) who has been ordinarily resident in the territory of India for not less than five years immediately preceding such commencement, shall be a citizen of India.

A)2) Rights of citizenship of certain persons who have migrated to India from Pakistan— shall be deemed to be a citizen of India at the commencement of this Constitution if—
(a) he or either of his parents or any of his grandparents was born in India as defined in the Government of India Act, 1935 (as originally enacted); and
(b)(i) in the case where such person has so migrated before the nineteenth day of July, 1948 ......

Parliamentary enactments (Citizenship Act1955, and subsequent amendments)
1)Citizenship by Birth 2)Citizenship by Descent 3)Citizenship by Registration 4)Citizenship by Naturalisation.

Few points on manuscript writing

A. This time during writing of manuscripts a must do is the following:

1. Name and linkage relation name to be in bilingual format, else the software will fail to register the electors.

2. In manuscript, indicate the applicants in forms 6, 8, 8a who have given a photo pasted to their application form. This time it is mandatory.

3. For deletion, modification manuscripts indication of either by "form7 / form 8" or "suo moto" is a must.

4. Serial no. of elector must be the NEW sl no. as per the draft electoral roll.

B. The EPIC generation software necessiates that this time during this roll entry phase EPIC will be generated and issued for only the fresh electors / old electors who have no EPIC no. written beside their name in the electoral roll.

Correction modification of old EPIC card will be possible only during the regular EPIC program when it will be so notified by the CEO office.

Therefore, BDOs may sort out the photo bearing Accepted form 6 which have no /blank entry against the head " EPIC no of the elector if already issued" in 2nd page of the form 6.

These form 6 must be sent to the District Election office for scanning against proper documentation only after writing of manuscripts for these parts are over. This is only to speed up the scanning and reduce piled up work load at a later phase.

Roll Observers visit to Bankura

Our Hon'ble Roll Observer, the CEO Sikkim, will be visiting our District between 10th to 14 th August. All to be fully prepared. The analysis of adverse Gender ratio, adverse age cohort proportion for 18-19 yrs electors and 20-29 yrs electors, adverse EPIC coverage polling stations and measures taken thereof as a remedy to be kept ready at fingertips.

The Observer will be definitely visiting the places where hearing for claims disposal will be in progress, also will be sample checking already disposed off claims and objection files. BDOs to keep 10 such files (for each polling station) ready for scrutiny. Polling stations with adverse gender ratio/ EPIC coverage/ Age cohort proportion to be prioritised within this 10 no polling station. Also a full set of best disposed off files irrespective of anything adverse to be kept ready at each Blocks. All to remain in fully prepared mode.

EROs to take special care and keep analysis ready. Heard claims and objection files may be kept ready.

College Special Campaign Photo

We have here few images of the special campaign held at Bankura Sammilani Medical College and Hospital, and Saradamani Girls College, Bankura on 28th July, 2010 . We are awaiting more such images from other Blocks.