OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE & DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER, BANKURA 15 th MAY, 2013

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE & DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER, BANKURA 15th MAY, 2013 WELCOME

RATIONALIZATION - 2013 As per order of the CEO, WB vide Memo No. 1528 (19)-Home (Elec) dt. 10-05-13, the rationalization exercise is to be taken up for those polling stations where the number of electors have crossed the threshold limit of 1100 after final publication of Electoral roll on 05-01-2013 in respect to 01-01-2013 as the qualifying date. 2

SCHEDULE OF RATIONALIZATION

Identify the Parts having more than 1100 electors as on 01-01-2013 Published on 05-01-2013 for rationalization. The Village / Hamlet having more than 300 electors may be provided with a Polling Station, if suitable Govt / Semi Govt. building is available. There should not be more than 02 (Two) Polling station in Rural area and more than 4 (four) Polling station in Urban area in a Polling Location. Ensure that no Elector should travel to cast their vote for more than 2 k.m. Ideally , there should be 1000 electors in each Polling Station on an average. WORKING GUIDELINES 4

METHODOLOGY • Assessment : • Take the existing list of polling stations and the electoral roll parts for a thorough survey. • Review existing sections in each part so as to ascertain whether any geographical identity is missed out or not. Care should be taken to incorporate newly developed areas and ensure that to the maximum extent possible the sections follow the pattern of nomenclature used for postal purpose.

METHODOLOGY • Thus a single section within a part may be divided into multiple sections, i.e. to cope with increased electors, an existing single section having more than 1100 electors may have to be divided into two or more polling stations as well.

METHODOLOGY • However, while working with the sectional rearrangements, it must be ensured that unless due to the necessity of bifurcating an existing section amongst multiple polling stations due to the number of electors exceeding the optimal number, no existing section is distributed amongst multiple parts. • Identify villages having more than 300 electors where separate polling stations within the villages could not be assigned in the past. If polling premises are available, care should be taken to assign separate polling station to such villages.

METHODOLOGY • Villages having less than 300 electors should ordinarily be clubbed together and the polling station should be set up in the village having higher number of electors. However, due to centrality of location, availability of polling station premises etc., there may be instances where the polling station may be proposed to be located in a village having lesser number of electors.

METHODOLOGY • Mouzas having less than 300 voters already having an exclusive existing polling station should continue to have so and need not be changed as a part of this rationalization exercise. • In case of large mouzas or wards (in urban areas), more than one polling station should be set up maintaining the said parameters. To explain it further, no polling station should cover areas of more than one Gram Panchayats / Wards.

METHODOLOGY • In case where correction in the names of sections and subsequent corrections in the control tables is essentially required, the same is allowed subject to specific consultation with this office. Correction in Control Table data will be made onto hard copies of the top sheet of the electoral roll (One in English and one in Vernacular). Control table correction will be done in red ink on the top sheet of the existing roll.

METHODOLOGY • The issue of natural barriers and change in river’s course should also be taken into account and areas being located in two sides of a river should not usually be clubbed together so as to ensure that the voters do not have to cross the river for voting. • Identify polling premises having more than 2 polling stations in rural areas and more than 4 polling stations in urban areas and assess availability of polling premises within the polling areas of additional parts in order to decongest the premises.

METHODOLOGY • In areas where it might be necessary to set up more polling stations than the prescribed numbers within the same premises due to density of population / electorate of the surrounding area and non-availability of any other suitable building within the polling area, then a certificate to that effect should be given by the ERO & AERO.

METHODOLOGY • Physical verification : • Existing polling stations and the proposed ones should be physically verified by the AEROs / EROs and a detailed report in the format given and as per the check list provided by the Election Commission of India in its Instruction Number 64/2007-ERS dated 9 May 2008.

FORMAT OF PHYSICAL VERIFICATION OF PS

FORMAT OF PHYSICAL VERIFICATION OF PS Rest Columns are…

METHODOLOGY • On the basis of physical verification, sketch maps indicating polling areas for individual parts/ polling stations with section distribution and the location of the proposed polling station should be drawn (for the time being maps showing the polling area of only those polling stations which will be newly created or of those polling stations which will get affected by the rationalization exercise shall have to be submitted). • Accordingly, the list of Polling Stations after the rationalization exercise as per guidelines is to be submitted in Annexure – III alongwith filled up formats in R1 to R6 and maps showing the polling area in A4 size paper.

METHODOLOGY • In Annexure – III, the Sl. No. of Polling Station in Column 1 shall be assigned with consecutive numbers under the Block jurisdiction ( AC-Wise separately) starting from no. 1. However, in case of Polling Station where either proposed Polling Station Location ( as given in Column 2 & 3) or the Polling Areas ( as given in column 6) have undergone any changes as a result of Re-organization / Rationalization of Polling Station as per guidelines an asterisk mark (*) shall invariably be given in Column 1 and subsequently in remarks column ( Column 10) formation of New / Bifurcated status of Polling Station shall be recorded ( Identifying Change Proposal / Change of Location / New Polling Station) with specific comments on whether it has been unanimously adopted by the Political Parties or some Party has objected to ( i.e unanimously adopted / X-Party assented / Y – Party objected). The final numbering of all the P.S with an AC will be done centrally at District Level.

Functional Guidelines There are 6 formats i.e. R1 to R6 to be used for Rationalization exercise.

Format R1 – Section-wise report from existing database (as on 05-01-2013) • This format is to be used to capture information relating to formation of new parts and sections / data pertaining to clubbing of existing sections. • After filed verification parts having more than 1100 electors are to be taken up for splitting / re-clubbing of sections therein. Whenever a new part is created, the details of such newly created parts are to be noted in column No. 14 and its corresponding sections in column No. 15.

FORMAT - R1 ------------------------------ [Prepared by] ----------------------------------------- [Signature & Seal by AERO / ERO]

Format R2 – Format for splitting of existing sections of a Part • There may be few parts comprising of single section having more than 1100 electors. On the other hand there may be few sections, though having less than 1100 electors requires splitting for geographical or any other obvious reason. To capture the elector distribution details amongst the newly created parts or sections this format is to be used. • Column No. 3, 4 & 5 records the Part No. / Section No. / Section name of the existing part. Whenever individual sections are split the distribution of electors amongst newly created part / section has to be noted in Column 6 and the corresponding No. of the newly created part / section are to be noted in column 7 & 8.

FORMAT – R2 ------------------------------ [Prepared by] ----------------------------------------- [Signature & Seal by AERO / ERO]

Format R3 – Format for detailing the address of newly created section • This format relates to R2 and is to be used for capturing the address of the newly created sections.

Format R4 – List of Polling Premises assigning new Part Nos. after rationalization • This format is to be used to allocate the new Part Nos. against the existing polling premises. • In case an existing polling premise that will not be used after rationalization the same is to be struck out using red ink.

Format R5 – Format for detailing address of new polling premises • This format is to be used to capture the detail address of new polling premises.

Format R6 – Synoptic report • This format is to be used to capture the number of newly created parts / sections / polling premises after rationalization vis-à-vis existing details.

Meeting with Political Parties • First meeting before launching of the programme – by 18-05-2013 • Second meeting before the publication of the draft list of polling stations – by 22-05-2013. • Third meeting after receiving the suggestions / objections and causing enquires on those - on 21-06-2013 In this meeting all suggestions / objections received for changes should be discussed and decided upon.

Final submission of reports Considering all the guidelines the exercise for rationalization of polling stations alongwith physical verification is to conducted with a aim to conduct the next Lok Sabha General Elections without any auxiliary polling stations. The following AC-wise report in both soft copy and signed hard copy is to submitted by the AEROs under the supervision of the EROs by 28-05-2013 : - • Annexure – III. • Resolution of the meeting of the Political Parties. • Format R1 to R6. • Report on physical verification of polling stations. • Scrutiny Sheet in Annexure – IV. • Certificate in Annexure – V. • Maps showing polling areas of newly created polling stations / affected polling stations.

SVEEP 33

DISTRICT SVEEP STRATEGY SOME KEY FEATURES BLOs should be directed to make house to house survey to list out the number of 18+ persons not yet enrolled as an elector and the persons who will be eligible to be an elector as on 01-01-2014. The reports should be submitted in the format (Annexure –I) given, within 27-05-2013. The identified left out electors and newly eligible electors as on 01-01-2014 should be distributed with Form – 6 by the BLOs with an advice to submit the filled up forms during SRER. Part-wise analytical data on gender ratio / EP ratio / Age-Cohort shall be obtained from the BLOs in the format (Annexure –II) given, within 27-05-2013.

Enrollment of 18-19 years age group electors • The list of identified Nodal Officers of H.S. Schools / Colleges / Technical Institutions under the Block jurisdiction should be submitted by 20-05-2013 in the FORMAT given. A block level meeting with the Nodal officers will have to be conducted immediately to encourage submission of Form – 6 from the eligible students, specially during the period of new admission in a campaign mode. • The concerned BLO should be tagged with the institution to give more emphasise on the process. • The list of institutions where “Voter Help Desk” have been provided alongwith photographs is to be submitted within 27-05-2013. the photographs should be superscribed with the names of the institution and Nodal officer’s name and contact No.

Some other SVEEP activities • Drop boxes are to be placed at important locations for submission of forms, to help hassle free access to services. Forms are also to be made available at those locations. • Locations like Banks, ATMs, Electricity offices, Post offices etc. where large number of people gather may be considered. • The BLO posters on - “Know Your BLO” should be made available at the Banks, ATMs and Post offices in consultation with the Banks (if yet not available) and the information should be updated. • During house to house visit the BLOs are to collect mobile numbers and e-mail address of the electors and keep a record in the BLOs Register.

Continuous Updation & Pre-Revision Activities 37

100% EPIC coverage should be ensured. During house to house verification with the Non-EPIC / Non-Image list the photographs should be collected. If the voters are found to be missing then process for suo-moto deletion should be initiated following relevant norms. • The list of probable duplicate electors should be verified during the house to house survey by the BLOs and if found actually duplicate then necessary process for suo-moto deletion should be initiated following relevant norms.

The list of probable duplicate EPICs should be verified during the house to house survey by the BLOs and if found actually duplicate then necessary process for suo-moto deletion should be initiated following relevant norms. • The list of 80+ age electors should be verified during the house to house survey by the BLOs and if found actually dead then necessary process for suo-moto deletion should be initiated following relevant norms. The reports should be submitted in the FORMAT given on weekly basis i.e. every Monday. • A FORMAT report on continuous updation should also be submitted fortnightly.

Training 40

Training of BLOs should be done rigorously in small batches of 40 – 50 for better management and making the training effective. • In June, 2013 training to be conducted on BLO Register and other pre-revision activities. • Before Summary Revision of Electoral Rolls another round of training will have to be conducted. • Subsequently, training for all levels of officials associated with election related works will be done for the conduct of Lok Sabha General Elections. Training schedule will be intimated accordingly.

T H A N K Y O U 42

OFFICE OF THE DISTRICT MAGISTRATE & DISTRICT ELECTION OFFICER, BANKURA 15 th MAY, 2013