PUNE: A shortage of data-entry operators is a bottleneck in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Pune district. Election officials have sought additional manpower to accelerate digitisation of the enumeration forms ahead of the revised Aug 8 deadline.Deputy election officer Minal Kalaskar said the district has sought additional DEOs to clear the growing backlog. “Field verification has picked up, but digitisation is the challenge. We have requested more data entry operators because BLOs are already engaged in door-to-door verification and collection of forms. Additional operators for every assembly constituency will speed up uploads and allow BLOs to concentrate on field work,” she told TOI.Kalaskar said the administration has also redeployed govt data entry operators from various departments to support the exercise until additional manpower is sanctioned. “But considering Pune’s large electorate, more dedicated DEOs are required to complete digitisation within the revised timeline,” she added.Meanwhile, a delegation representing Maharashtra SIR Jagruti Abhiyan, a platform of more than 20 civil society organisations, on Monday met state Chief Electoral Officer S Chockalingam and senior election officials, seeking a longer extension to the ongoing SIR and flagging concerns over possible voter exclusions, documentation and implementation.Activists said the 10-day extension granted by ECI is inadequate and could result in hurried verification and filing of enumeration forms, increasing the risk of eligible voters being left out. Chockalingam told the delegation that any further extension would be ECI’s decision.The delegation highlighted difficulties faced by people displaced due to redevelopment projects, slum rehabilitation schemes and those living in temporary accommodation. Chockalingam said his office has written to the ECI seeking consideration for such voters.Activists said many voters are unaware of the SIR exercise and need explanatory videos and guidance on mapping and filling of forms. The CEO said publicity would be stepped up and additional instructional material issued.The delegation raised concerns about migrant workers, including Katkari families who are away from their native villages during the enumeration period and therefore risk exclusion. Chockalingam said directions were issued to the Raigad collector where a sizeable Katkari population resides.The meeting also focused on transgender persons, sex workers, the homeless and orphans. Officials said enrolment and family mapping for such categories would follow existing guidelines. BLOs would be instructed to accept maternal grandparents’ names for family mapping wherever applicable and issues arising from married women’s surname changes would also be addressed.
