In a significant move aimed at quelling public anxiety, the Election Commission of India (ECI) has announced it will publish Bihar's 2003 electoral roll online. This decisive action means that nearly five crore citizens who were on that list and are still on the current one will be exempt from providing any further documents during the ongoing voter verification process.This move comes in direct response to widespread public fear and resistance linking the door-to-door voter verification drive to the controversial National Register of Citizens (NRC). Many citizens were refusing to cooperate with Booth Level Officers (BLOs), fearing the process was a backdoor method for an NRC exercise.Speaking to the media, Bihar's Chief Electoral Officer, H.R. Srinivasa, clarified the simple but powerful logic behind the decision: if a person's name was on the 2003 voter list, their citizenship was already considered established at that time."These nearly 4.96 crore electors need not worry or furnish any additional documents for verification," Srinivasa stated, confirming that the 2003 list would be made publicly accessible on the CEO's official website.This new measure is the second major step taken by the ECI to calm the situation. It follows a recent directive that relaxed the rule for mandatory physical verification, making it discretionary for BLOs.For voters who registered after 2003, the standard verification process will still apply, though officials have been instructed to handle it with flexibility and sensitivity. By making the 2003 list the benchmark, the Election Commission aims to restore public trust, streamline the verification process, and ensure that the integrity of the electoral roll is maintained without causing panic among millions of genuine citizens.
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