AGARTALA, Jan 7 — There has been an increase of 2.7 per cent voters in Tripura as per the final electoral roll which was published yesterday. The total number of voters who would exercise their franchise in the coming February polls stands at 19,31,000. The previous roll had 18,80,700 voters. Official sources said the entire process was completed yesterday.
“In the special summery revision of the roll, we have received 12.63 per cent voters as per the figures of January 2002 who had wanted to get their names included in the roll, but only 2.7 per cent forms could be cleared depending on the documents furnished by the individual applicants”, officials said. Chief Electoral Officer, Debasish Sircar said, all the complaints of the political parties have been examined thoroughly before preparation of the final voters’ list.
“For the voters above the age of 80, we have made door-to-door enquiry so as to ascertain their existence,’ he added. He, however, ruled out special arrangements for the electorate who had been displaced following militant attacks and ethnic violence in the State and presently were living in makeshift shelters. Political parties had demanded special voting arrangements for them in the lines of Jammu and Kashmir.
It may be mentioned here that with the publication of the final voters list, the main perquisite has been fulfilled and now it depends on the Election Commission to finalise the dates of the Assembly polls. The Commission has convened a high-level meeting on January 9 next in New Delhi, which will be attended by the Chief Secretaries and police chiefs of all the four States going to polls in February.
The election dates will in all probability be announced by mid-January. Debasish Sircar also said that about 3000 electronic voting machines have reached the State and examination of the machines is now hearing completion. On the recent abduction of an employee by NLFT militants while he was discussing the EVMs with the villages, Sircar said all security related measures will be undertaken so as to check further attacks on the employees.