'Ensure foreigners not included included in voter list'

Mizoram's Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has requested political parties to ensure that no foreigners' names are included in the upcoming special summary revision of photo electoral rolls, an official said here Wednesday.

Mizoram shares borders with Bangladesh (318 km) and Myanmar (404 km).

"Mizoram CEO Ashwani Kumar held a meeting with all the recognised political parties in Aizawl Tuesday. The CEO requested them to cooperate with the electoral officials to prevent foreigners from getting included their names in the electoral rolls illegally," an election department official said.

According to Mizoram home department officials, over 50,000 Myanmar nationals are residing in the state. Of them, some hold work permits issued by the state government in consultation with the union home ministry and some Myanmarese are residing illegally without any work permit.

The Myanmar nationals work as domestic help with Mizo families, as construction workers and in other such occupations.

The Election Commission has asked all states except four states, to carry out a special summary revision of photo electoral rolls with Jan 1, 2015 as the qualifying date to get enrolled in the voters' list.

The special summary revision would not be held in Maharashtra, Haryana, Jharkhand and Jammu and Kashmir in view of upcoming assembly polls.

A massive campaign involving booth-level agents of all recognised parties would be carried out so that no eligible person is left out.

The Election Commission official said that the final rolls would be published Jan 5, 2015.

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