ECI: Amartya Sen Not Required for SIR Hearing Over Spelling Error
ECI: Amartya Sen Not Required for SIR Hearing Over Spelling Error
ECI says minor spelling errors won't trigger a hearing; corrections will be handled locally to avoid public disputes.
On Tuesday, the Election Commission of India clarified that Nobel laureate Amartya Sen is not required to appear for a hearing over a spelling discrepancy in his name on the voter list. Officials said that Booth Level Officers have the authority to correct minor errors, including spelling mistakes, and such corrections will be handled administratively at the local level.
Earlier, a Trinamool Congress leader claimed Sen had been served with an SIR hearing notice. A family member of Sen told PTI that no hearing notice had been received. The commission stressed that the discrepancy is purely technical and does not affect the voter's eligibility, urging officials to keep disputes from public view.
To ensure smooth handling, the ECI said notices about any alleged discrepancies should be downloaded and delivered to the concerned voters within four to five days. State Chief Electoral Officer offices have been instructed to provide daily constituency-wise reports on logical discrepancy notices. In the first phase of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision, about 1.36 crore voters were found to have data inconsistencies.
While the SIR continues, the commission's emphasis on administrative redress and prompt notice delivery is aimed at maintaining voter confidence and avoiding politicization of routine administrative corrections.
