Panaji: Former Indian Navy chief Admiral Arun Prakash on Monday welcomed the public concern over the difficulties he faced during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, while reiterating the need for the Election Commission of India (ECI) to revise the SIR form and deploy fully trained booth-level officers (BLOs).
In a social media post, the Goa-based veteran said his rank and service were irrelevant and that he remained bound by Election Commission rules like any other citizen. However, he stressed that the ECI should consider revising the SIR form to capture more detailed information, such as occupation and location during the previous SIR exercise.
Renewing his suggestions, Admiral Prakash urged the poll body to appoint full-time, well-trained young BLOs empowered to interact with citizens and verify documents. He also called on the ECI to better inform the public about the option to upload documents on the Commission’s website and to remain mindful of migrant labourers who are away from their home states and often unable to produce required documents.
A day earlier, the 82-year-old former Naval Chief had expressed anguish over the inconvenience caused by being asked to appear at election offices on different dates along with his wife as part of the SIR process in Goa. He said that while they would comply with the notices, it was unclear why the BLO—who visited their home three times—could not collect the additional information during those visits. Instead, the couple was asked to travel to two separate election offices located 18 km apart.
Addressing ECI officials, Admiral Prakash noted that despite multiple visits by the BLO, the SIR forms could not be completed to the satisfaction of the authorities, underscoring the need to revise the format of the forms themselves.
Admiral Arun Prakash served as the Chief of Naval Staff from July 31, 2004, to October 31, 2006, and as Chairman of the Chiefs of Staff Committee from January 31, 2005, to October 31, 2006. During the 1971 war, he was awarded the Vir Chakra for gallantry while flying with an Indian Air Force fighter squadron in Punjab.
His tenure as Navy chief was marked by significant initiatives in doctrine, strategy, transformation, and maritime cooperation. After retirement, he served two terms on the National Security Advisory Board and also headed the National Maritime Foundation.
With inputs from IANS