Maharashtra's SIR deadline extended by 10 days; draft electoral rolls to be out on August 17

Mumbai, Jul 17 (PTI) The Election Commission has extended the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Maharashtra by 10 days, with the exercise now set to wrap up on August 8 instead of July 29, an official said on Friday. As per a notification from the poll authority, the draft electoral rolls for the state will now be published on August 17 instead of the earlier scheduled date of August 5. The period for filing claims and objections is from August 17 to September 16, and the disposal of the same will be done by October 15, with the final publication of electoral rolls scheduled on October 19, it stated. The drive, which began in the state on June 30, is part of the Election Commission's efforts to update and verify electoral rolls. The official said that the deadline was extended following requests from political parties and the poll personnel in view of the recent heavy rains in parts of Maharashtra. During the SIR exercise, booth-level officers (BLOs) are conducting house-to-house verifications, while voters are required to submit enumeration forms and supporting documents where necessary to ensure accurate registration. PTI MR ARU