The Election Commission has set a hundred per cent target of the verification of duplicate entries, including photo similar entries (PSE) and demographic similar entries (DSE) in the electoral rolls.

The Commission has issued a detailed standard operating procedure for handling the processing of DSEs and PSEs in the electoral rolls.

As per the Commission, the electoral registration officer (ERO) will give every such elector, who is found to have duplicate entries, a reasonable opportunity to show cause why the action proposed should not be taken as enshrined in Rules 18 and 21-A of Registration of Electoral rules 1960 and various instructions of the Commission.

As per the SoP, the identification of DSE will be carried by the chief electoral officer of respective states and union territories. It says that the ERO will see the records of duplicate entries cluster by cluster and download the checklist for each cluster.

Thereafter, EROs will be assigning a checklist to the BLO (booth level officer) for processing through Garuda app. Moreover, BLOs will have to fill the field verification report through the Garuda app and will be submitted to the ERO.

System will allow EROs to take decisions for the electors in their jurisdiction when all the BLOs involved in a cluster have submitted the report.

To reduce the cost of printing out the checklists, generating and filling the Form 7 or Form 8, it was decided by the Commission that Garuda mobile app will be used for checklist and form submission.

When all the BLOs in the DSE cluster submit their respective field verification reports, a Decision Matrix will be made available on ERONET to the electoral registration officer for taking a final decision.

The Commission has said that the IT division will make necessary changes in ERONET to affect the process and provisions. Based on the recommendations of the Committee on BLO systems, the IT division will be rolling out DSE/PSE integration with Garuda app to push checklists and related transactions soon to avoid use of paper and printing costs.

It is clarified that DSEs can be generated by CEOs at desired frequencies (not less than every quarter) to ensure electoral roll verification and purification. However, PSEs will be generated annually by the IT division, due to high computing power required, the Election Commission noted.

Recently, the poll panel said that entry in the electoral roll should not be deleted on the grounds of non-submission of Aadhaar.

The poll panel also referred to its letter issued to all chief election officers of all the states on July 4 this year which said that collection of Aadhaar from the voters should be on a voluntary basis for linking and authentication of electoral roll data.

For linking of Aadhaar number with electoral roll data, provision has been made in the modified registration forms to seek Aadhaar details of electors. A new Form-6B has also been introduced for collecting Aadhaar number of existing electors.

As per the Commission, if the elector does not have the Aadhaar number and thereby is not able to furnish his/her Aadhaar number, he/she will be asked to submit a copy of any of the eleven alternative documents mentioned in the Form 6B.