Taking strong exception to the gross anomalies in the voters’ list that deprived hundreds of people of their right to vote in some villages in Puri district during the second phase polls in the State on April 17, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has asked the State Government to direct the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) to submit a report within eight weeks from the date of its order.
The directive of the commission came in response to a complaint lodged by well-known journalist and human rights activist NA Shah Ansari. In his complaint, Ansari has alleged that the names of hundreds of people of Nuagan, Matiapada, Anasara and Simili villages in Puri district were found missing from the voters’ list due to gross negligence by the State administration during the revision of electoral rolls. There are reports of omissions of large numbers of names in the voters’ lists of other districts as well.