Dead figure in fresh voter-list
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Mir TariqBandipora, July 23: Hundreds of dead have surfaced in the voter lists of north Kashmir’s Bandipora district.Moreover, the changed names, repetition and missing of names is a common feature in the voter lists"On Page No 30/31 of the voters list of Panzigam (31) the entry states: Sajad Ahmed Khan, 40 of Khan Mohalla Panzigam, Voter No 165. I cried today after learning that his name has figured in the voter list. He died three years back,” said his 63-year-old mother Misra Begum.
Sajad Ahmed Khan died four years back but electoral roll shows he is alive.There is another entry in the name of Khawaja Rahat Mir on Page No 5/36 in voter list of Kaloosa Nathpora having voter No 47."On April 2007, we observed fifth death anniversary of our father," said son Muhammad Sultan Mir.Muhammad Rajab Hajam voter No 72 on Page 10/36 of the same ward and in the same voter list is shown alive although he died in 2004."The voter lists are replete with mention of died voters, missing of names, repetition and name change. It should be modified and responsible persons should be punished in order to avoid repetition of these blunders," said Muhammad Arif Lone, a voter adding, "The employees deployed on duty of framing voter lists are committing these blunders because of some their ulterior motives."They are not the only people who, according to the official list released by the government are eligible to exercise their franchise in the coming elections. Of the thousands of voters in the district, dozens of people who have died long ago have their names in the list.There are also some repetitions with some names figuring in more than one voter list.Abdul Majeeed Mir son of Abdul Gani Mir and his family members who have shifted to Ward 1 Nowpora from Ward 14 Nathpora 5 years back have their names in the voter lists of two wards while in Panzigam, only two members of Safder Ali's eight-member family figure in the list. "We have been staying at the same place for over 50 years now but only two members are in voter list," he says.In Kaloosa Nathpora, Abdul Majeeed Mir son of Abdul Gani Mir has voter No 203 and house No 44. Mir also figures in the voter list of Nowpora Ward 1 under No 1402 on page No 64/72. Similarly the eight member family of Abdul Majeed Mir figures in two separate voter lists."The repetition of voters in more than one ward is deliberately done by the Booth Level Officers (BLO) who have been given this job by the pro-India politicians,” an official source said adding they are doing these this to increase the voter turnout.The names who have figured twice or more are mostly the people affiliated with the pro-India political parties.However the concerned BLOs say that the voter lists were prepared after tallying it with the voter lists of the last assembly elections.Additional Deputy Commissioner Bandipora, Bashir Ahmed Bhat who is also the election officer said that I will check it and clear the mistakes.“Anybody having any complaint regarding the repetition of voters in the voter list should call at 951957-22099.”Bhat said all the BLOs are locals and are aware of their localities. “They are impartial,” Bhat added