Residents at receiving end over voter list confusion

BENGALURU: Bruhat Bengaluru Mahanagara Palike (BBMP) block-level officers have been insisting on Aadhaar details from citizens to complete the Electoral Verification Programme ( EVP ) in multiple wards, claimed residents. This, even though there is no specific instruction for them to do so.

In Jogupalya, for instance, multiple residents said civic officials told them their names would be deleted from the voters’ list if they fail to provide Aadhaar details before November 18. TOI learnt that the same happened in multiple wards of Shantinagar assembly constituency too. Officials also sought for Aadhaar in Vasanthnagar, but did not threaten to remove names from the list.

BBMP commissioner BH Anil Kumar , who first said the drive was being conducted at the behest of the election commission, later clarified that there was no instruction from the commission making Aadhaar mandatory.

“We are carrying out voter verification and for that we are asking for any of the eight documents that prove identity and address. We are not insisting on Aadhaar as there is no question of linking it with voters,” said Kumar.

On BBMP officials threatening residents that their names would be knocked off the list if they fail to provide Aadhaar details, Kumar said: “They have not been instructed to do so. We had a meeting with all AROs (assistant revenue officers) even today (Thursday) and no such thing was discussed. If some officials are doing it, we will look into the matter.”

BBMP additional commissioner Anbu Kumar, who is overseeing the EVP, said the EC circular is very clear that officials need not collect any document and that they are only supposed to verify.

“As part of the EVP, block-level officials are only supposed to verify if a voter is still present at the same address to ensure there is no wrong entry. For this, our officials may need to see any of the eight listed documents such as ration card, Aadhaar, passport, driving licence, bank passbook, among others. Residents don’t even need to give a copy of any of these documents to our officials,” Kumar added.

He said he’d look into the wards where officials are insisting on Aadhaar or threatening to remove voters’ names from the list. “Nobody is authorised to do so. We will initiate action if we come across any such cases,” he added.

