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Maharashtra Poll Chief Seeks More Power for Local Officers
Maharashtra is checking its list of voters.
The computer system used for this work flags some records as having possible mistakes.
The state’s election chief said local officers should have more choice in deciding how to handle these cases.
He asked to let officers accept more kinds of documents and skip hearings when good evidence is already provided.
He also said some people, including vulnerable groups, should not face unnecessary inconvenience.
Two Election Commissioners had already said the software was limiting local officers’ legal responsibilities.
The Election Commission later allowed some hearing exemptions and promised more flexibility.
It also ordered a committee, including an independent technical expert, to review the system.
Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam sought four ECINet changes to restore Electoral Registration Officers’ decision-making discretion.
The requests concern hearings, acceptable documents, discrepancy decisions and making certain uploads optional.
The state’s draft electoral roll, published August 31, excluded 21.1 percent of electors; the final roll is due November 16.
Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi had separately raised concerns that centralized software controls curtailed statutory powers.
The Election Commission later exempted some electors from personal hearings and announced an independent review of ECINet.
- Who
- Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam, Electoral Registration Officers and the Election Commission of India are involved.
- What
- Chockalingam requested four changes to the ECINet software so local election officers can exercise discretion allowed under election law.
- Where
- The request was sent from Maharashtra to the Election Commission in New Delhi and concerns the state’s electoral-roll process.
- When
- The request was sent on September 24; the Election Commission announced related decisions on September 26.
- Why
- The changes were sought to let officers decide when hearings are needed, accept equivalent documents, resolve discrepancies and avoid unnecessary procedural requirements.
Decentralized statutory authority
Centralized software controls and safeguards
Who should decide discrepancies
Decentralized statutory authority
Maharashtra’s chief electoral officer and the Election Commissioners who raised concerns said Electoral Registration Officers should be able to decide cases when they are satisfied with the evidence, as provided by law.
Centralized software controls and safeguards
The Election Commission’s digital system has centralized access controls, which the Commission said operate under strict data-security protocols to prevent unauthorized tampering.
Hearings and documents
Decentralized statutory authority
The Maharashtra CEO sought discretion to exempt electors with satisfactory documents from hearings and to accept equivalent documents from communities that may lack items on the indicative list.
Centralized software controls and safeguards
The existing ECINet process presented limited action options and required specified procedural steps; the Election Commission later said further flexibility would be made operational if field officers needed it.
Response to the concerns
Decentralized statutory authority
The requests and earlier Commissioner objections argued that software restrictions prevented officers from fully exercising their legal responsibilities.
Centralized software controls and safeguards
The Election Commission said EROs and District Election Officers function under their statutory powers, while also announcing upgrades, a committee review of ECINet and an independent technical expert’s participation.
Key facts
- State involved
- Maharashtra
- Requesting official
- Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam
- Request date
- September 24
- Draft-roll publication
- August 31
- Draft-roll reduction
- 21.1 percent of Maharashtra’s electors
- Final-roll deadline
- November 16
- Requested software
- ECINet
Quotes
Sukhbir Singh Sandhu
Election Commissioner who recorded concerns about centralized control of electoral-roll software.
“It is strange that all the responsibilities regarding Electoral Roll lie on EROS, DEOs and CEOs as per law, but the access control has been centralised by DG(IT).”
indianexpress.com
S. Chockalingam
Chief Electoral Officer of Maharashtra who requested clearer written instructions for EROs.
“oral instructions from ECI or CEO are insufficient”
indianexpress.com
Sources
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