GUWAHATI, Oct 13 - The ongoing process of summary revision of electoral rolls of Assam is not linked to the process of updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) as only the draft of the NRC has so far been published and the Supreme Court has also directed that no action should be taken against anyone on the basis of the draft.
Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the summary revision of the electoral rolls is a continuous process, while an intensive revision is carried out only from time to time and it�s a time consuming process. Sources said that as per the schedule of the summary revision, the draft electoral rolls were published in all the districts of the State on September 15 and October 13 is the last date for filing claims and objections. The claims and objections will be disposed of by November 30 and the final electoral roll will be published on January 4,2019.
Sources said that anyone who attains 18 years of age on January 1, 2019 would be eligible to apply for inclusion of their names in the electoral rolls. After receiving the claims and objections, the booth level officers will examine these before forwarding the same to the district electoral registration officers. The names will be included in the electoral rolls only after the clearance from the electoral registration officers.
Explaining the difference between summary and intensive revision of the electoral rolls, sources said that summary revision is a continuous process. �In case of summary revision, we already have an electoral roll and the revision is carried out on the basis of the same to give an opportunity to those who attained 18 years of age on the cut-off date to get their names included in the voters� list. People can also file objections on the basis of the draft rolls. But in case of intensive revision, house to house enumeration is carried out and it is a long process. The last intensive revision of the electoral rolls in Assam was carried out in the early part of 2000,� sources said.
Sources added that the summary revision of the electoral rolls is not linked with the process of updating the NRC and it is apparent that the names of those not included in the draft of the NRC may be included in the voters� list. �Only the draft of the NRC has been published and one cannot delete names of anyone from the electoral rolls on the basis of the draft citizen document. The Supreme Court has made it clear in one of its orders,� sources added.
However, sources admitted that the Election Commission might take a decision on further revision of the electoral rolls after the final NRC is published. �We will have to wait and see what decision is taken after the publication of the final NRC. The Supreme Court, which is monitoring the process of updating the NRC, may also give some direction in this regard,� sources added.