Election Commission of India issues new work allocation order

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a fresh work allocation order to formalize the distribution of administrative, IT, and grievance-related responsibilities. This move follows internal dissent from Election Commissioners Sukhbir Singh Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, who had previously objected to a July 28 order regarding the redistribution of duties.

The new directive, dated November 4, establishes a supervisory layer for the IT division. Director General of Information Technology Seema Khanna is now required to route files related to IT, communications, and public grievance redressal through Senior Deputy Election Commissioner Pawan Kumar Sharma. This arrangement addresses concerns regarding the potential centralization of the electoral roll database and digital system access.

In a separate development, the ECI has directed chief electoral officers in Delhi, Maharashtra, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Jharkhand, Telangana, and Nagaland to facilitate the re-inclusion of electors previously marked as Absent, Shifted, Dead, or Duplicate (ASDD) during the Special Intensive Revision exercise. This follows observations by the Supreme Court regarding voter disenfranchisement. The commission will provide fresh enumeration forms and allow voters to retain their original EPIC numbers to preserve historical records.