Gangtok: Chief Electoral Officer of Sikkim, Raj Yadav, on Monday announced the launch of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll under the directions of the Election Commission of India, with the process continuing till September 6.
“The process will start from May 20. Preparatory work including printing and planning will take place from May 28 to May 29, while house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will continue till June 28,” Yadav said.
During the visits, BLOs will distribute and collect Enumeration Forms and assist voters in filling them. Citizens can also use the ECI Net mobile application to verify electoral details.
Yadav said 2002 has been taken as the base year for verification.
“If a voter’s name already existed in the electoral roll before 2002, no additional documents will be required. Only the Enumeration Form needs to be submitted,” he said.
Voters added after 2002, however, must establish linkage with parents whose names existed in the electoral roll before 2002.
“If linkage is verified, no further documents will be needed,” he added.
He clarified that BLOs are not authorised to collect or verify supporting documents during house visits. Cases requiring clarification will be referred for hearings before Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
“If voters are absent during house visits, a sticker containing the BLO’s contact details will be left at the residence,” he said.
The CEO said Sikkim currently has 572 polling stations and an equal number of BLOs deployed for the exercise. A proposal has also been submitted for 54 additional polling stations.
On documentation, Yadav said voters born before 1987 must provide their own birth-related documents or citizenship certificate. Those born between 1987 and 2004 must submit documents of themselves and their parents, while citizens born after 2004 must provide documents of both parents as well.
“If either parent is from outside India, supporting documents relating to them must also be produced,” he said.
He further stated that the electoral database has been frozen and no new names will be added outside the ongoing SIR process.
“Around 80 percent of voter mapping has already been completed, while the remaining 20 percent may require hearings and detailed verification,” he said.
Responding to concerns over alleged foreign nationals possessing voter ID cards near the Indo-Nepal border, Yadav said the revision exercise aims to identify and remove such cases.
“Any suspicious cases will be referred to EROs for necessary action, including deletion of names where required,” he stated.
At the same time, he assured holders of valid Citizenship Certificates, COI, or Sikkim Subject-related documents.
“People possessing valid government-issued citizenship-related certificates need not worry because their citizenship has effectively already been verified,” he said.
Yadav also announced that lists of deleted voters would be made public through media and online platforms for transparency.
Sikkim Democratic Front representative Shakti Singh Chaudhary welcomed the exercise, calling it a step towards “electoral purification.”
“Electoral rolls will become cleaner and the voting percentage will increase, which is very good for democracy,” he said.
However, Chaudhary demanded that the Sikkim Subject Certificate (SSC) be included among approved supporting documents.
“If a person has an SSC, it proves that he or she is an Indian citizen, and that person’s name should not be deleted from the electoral roll,” he said.
He said many people in remote villages consider SSC and COI as part of their identity and history. “We want BLOs and officials to carry out their duties honestly so that not even a single Indian citizen’s name is wrongly deleted,” he added.
Chaudhary also sought transparency in deletions. “Authorities should clearly specify how many names were deleted under categories such as dead voters, migrated voters, duplicate entries, and foreign nationals,” he said.
Citizen Action Party representative Bhusan Adhikari also welcomed the revision but stressed that the process must respect Sikkim’s “special constitutional and historical characteristics” under Article 371F.
“The Sikkim Subject Certificate, COI, and Residential Certificate hold special importance here,” Adhikari said.
He claimed the party did not receive satisfactory written clarification regarding how such documents would be treated during verification.
“The Chief Electoral Officer verbally said these documents would be considered, but we want everything clearly stated in black and white,” he said. Adhikari said the issue was linked to protecting Sikkim’s identity for future generations.
“We do not want any genuine voter’s name removed, nor unnecessary additions. Only those who genuinely belong should remain on the voter list,” he added.