BIHAR SIR REPORT:NEPAL-BENGAL BORDER AREAS HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF FAKE VOTERS

BIHAR SIR REPORT:NEPAL-BENGAL BORDER AREAS HAVE THE HIGHEST NUMBER OF FAKE VOTERS

30-AUG-ENG 3

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

PATNA-------------------------This week, the Bihar Education Minister has started issuing notices to those voters of Bihar whose documents were found unsatisfactory during the ongoing Special Intensive Review (SIR) of voter lists. Most of the notices have been issued for the border districts adjoining Nepal and West Bengal. The reason behind this notice is said to be providing wrong or incomplete documents.

Officials said that most of these cases have been found in border districts like East Champaran, West Champaran, Madhubani, Kishanganj, Purnia, Katihar, Araria and Supaul. Hearing on this entire matter will be held from next week. If satisfactory documents are not provided during the hearing, then not only will their name be removed from the voter list, but citizenship is also at risk.

SIR has been done before the assembly elections in Bihar. Under this, names of 65 lakh people have been removed from the voter list. On the other hand, documents of many people have not been found satisfactory. This is the reason why the commission is going to verify them again. Document deficiencies have been found in areas bordering Nepal. These include East Champaran, West Champaran, Madhubani, Supaul and Araria bordering Nepal while Purnia and Katihar border West Bengal, and Kishanganj borders both Nepal and West Bengal.

The Election Commission said that notices are being issued to those voters who had submitted their counting forms and were included in the draft roll, but have either not submitted any supporting documents, or have submitted incorrect documents, or whose eligibility - including citizenship - is in doubt. The process of issuing notices has started across the state, but the highest number of such cases are from these border districts.

Many Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) of these districts said that they have started checking the counting forms and have started issuing notices early this week. The hearing will begin next week. For example, the first hearing in the Raxaul assembly constituency in East Champaran district will be held on September 3, while the first hearing in the Madhubani assembly constituency is scheduled for September 7, 2025.