"Reforms are very necessary for democracy": Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar on SIR exercise in Bihar

New Delhi [India], July 24 (ANI): Amid the opposition's criticism of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Bihar in both houses of Parliament, Union Minister Sukanta Majumdar defended the exercise, asserting that reforms are essential for democracy.
Speaking to ANI, Majumdar said, "I believe reforms are very necessary for democracy. You only need to bring one document, not all of them... I think if such reforms do not happen in democracy, you won't even know how many of our citizens voted and how many people from outside voted..."
He noted that such exercises are important to determine the number of illegal voters.
Earlier, more than 52.30 lakh voters were not found at their registered addresses during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Bihar, the Election Commission of India (ECI) said on Tuesday.
According to the poll body, 52,30,126 electors, amounting to 6.62 per cent of the state's total registered voters, were either deceased, had shifted permanently, were enrolled at multiple locations, or were untraceable.
Of the total, nearly 18.5 lakh electors were reported as deceased, 26 lakh had permanently shifted, and nearly 7.5 lakh electors were found to be enrolled at multiple places, and around 11,000 voters were not traceable.
The ECI has shared the list of these names with the 1.5 Lakh Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by district presidents of 12 major political parties in Bihar. These BLAs have been actively cooperating in determining the status of electors who could not be found at their addresses.
However, some experts are of the opinion that some national and state leaders of some political parties and intellectuals want dead, shifted, duplicate, and untraceable voters to be included in the draft electoral rolls. They argue that such demand defies logic and flies in the face of the entire purpose of a Special Intensive Revision.
They stated that the SIR exercise is comprehensive and will ensure that no eligible elector is left off the list. The demands to include such electors suggest an ulterior motive hidden from the general public. (ANI)