A one-day training workshop on the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls was organized at the divisional headquarters in Shimla for election officials from Shimla, Solan, and Sirmaur districts. The workshop was chaired by Deputy Commissioner and District Election Officer Shimla, Anupam Kashyap.
The training program was attended by Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and IT staff from district election offices. The session aimed to strengthen understanding of the technical aspects of the SIR process and ensure accurate implementation.
Addressing the participants, the Deputy Commissioner emphasized that SIR is a comprehensive process requiring training at all administrative levels. He informed that the Chief Electoral Officer had already undergone training in Delhi, followed by training sessions for District Election Officers across all 12 districts of Himachal Pradesh.
He stressed that officials must thoroughly understand the technical procedures involved in SIR to ensure that no errors occur during the revision process. Senior officers from the Chief Electoral Officer’s office were present to address queries and clarify doubts of the participants.
Anupam Kashyap also revealed that voter list verification conducted in Shimla district from 2002 to 2025 showed the electoral rolls to be 98 percent accurate. He highlighted that it is the responsibility of Electoral Registration Officers to ensure that forms reach every eligible voter.
He further noted that upcoming activities, including the SIR exercise, census operations, and Panchayati Raj elections, will require careful deployment of manpower to avoid administrative disruptions. Officials were also directed to keep representatives of political parties informed about all necessary developments.
Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dr. Murari Lal stated that the SIR process has already been completed in 12 states and has now commenced in Himachal Pradesh. He urged officials to strictly follow all training guidelines and ensure that no eligible citizen is excluded from the voter list.
During the workshop, officials provided detailed presentations on SIR schedules, roles and responsibilities of election officers, and IT applications used in the revision process. Discussions were also held on SVEEP activities, media coordination, social media outreach, and public issues likely to arise during the revision exercise.
It was announced that district-level training programs will be conducted for officials unable to attend the session, followed by further training for Booth Level Officers organized by Electoral Registration Officers.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Shimla Sachin Sharma, Additional District Magistrate (Law and Order) Pankaj Sharma, and officials from the election and other departments were also present during the workshop.
