Bihar election roll revision: Full list of documents required; Aadhaar not one of them

The first intensive revision since 2003 is scheduled to conclude on September 30

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of Bihar’s electoral rolls that began on June 28, has got off to a bumpy start courtesy of the immense confusion among voters about the exercise and the required documents.

The first intensive revision since 2003 is scheduled to conclude on September 30 with the publication of the updated voter rolls.

As part of the roll-revise process, voters may be asked to submit documents to support their claims. This is also for their parents if their names are mentioned. Each document must be self-attested and submitted separately for the individual, father, and mother.

However, if a person's name appears in the electoral roll dated January 1, 2003, it alone will be treated as sufficient proof. No additional documents will be needed in that case.

Over 77,000 booth level officers along with other government staff and political party workers must check the antecedents of over 7.8 crore registered electors as part of the revision exercise.

According to the EC, the following documents will be considered for submission.

•Any Identity card/Pension Payment Order issued to regular employee/pensioner of any Central Govt./State Govt./PSU

•Any Identity Card/Certificate/Document issued in India by Government/local authorities/Banks/Post Office/LIC/PSUs prior to 01.07.1987

•Birth Certificate issued by the competent authority

•Passport

•Matriculation/Educational certificate issued by recognised Boards/universities

•Permanent Residence certificate issued by competent state authority

•Forest Right Certificate

•OBC/SC/ST or any caste certificate issued by the Competent authority

•National Register of Citizens (wherever it exists)

•Family Register, prepared by State/Local authorities

•Any land/house allotment certificate by government

The EC also clarified that 4.96 crore out of Bihar's 7.89 crore registered voters won't need to submit parental documents during the revision. This includes those already listed in the 2003 electoral rolls or born to such electors.

However, Aadhaar is not part of this list.

Congress in-charge of Bihar, Krishna Allavaru, accused the EC of "acting under government pressure".

"Whenever the government faces a crisis, its agencies begin such actions. It is strange that the very voters who elected this government are now being asked to prove their identity. By excluding Aadhaar from this voter revision process, eight crore people are being asked to submit documents they don't have," the Congress leader told Times of India.

The Opposition has argued that this exercise could have been undertaken earlier. EC has, over the last decade, accepted Aadhaar and the ration card for inclusion in the electoral roll.

Congress leader Abhishek Singhvi called the revision a violation of the level playing field. He added that if voters are left out, it would be an insult to the Constitution’s basic structure.