The names of 25,700 Goans with Portuguese passports have been deleted from electoral rolls in South Goa. South Goa Collector Swapnil Naik submitted a report on Tuesday to the Election Commission of India (ECI) team visiting the state.
“They had informed the team about the commencement of the process to delete 1,400 more names of individuals who availed of Portuguese passports from the State voters’ list. As for north Goa, Agnel Fernandes, who only recently took over as Collector, has been given a week to collect the data about the deletion of names and submit it to the ECI.” – as reported by The Hindu from its sources in the Goa Electoral Office (GEO).
As a result of these deletions, the ratio of male voters to female voters in the State, which was virtually equal, has now exhibited a shift towards the latter, as most of the individuals who opted for a Portuguese passport happen to be male. The sources added that another reason for the shift in ratio was the rising life expectancy of women in Goa.
The Goa Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) deleted the names of individuals who had surrendered their Indian citizenship and acquired foreign nationalities. The three-member ECI team, which arrived in Goa on Tuesday for a two-day visit directed them to do so.
Deputy Election Commissioner Umesh Sinha found the preliminary preparedness of the Goa CEO satisfactory, said the sources in the GEO.
He let the team review poll preparedness ahead of the upcoming assembly elections.
At the same time, Mr. Sinha had asked the CEO to prepare a monitoring plan for all the GEO activities, and to send weekly reports to the ECI.
At the meeting, Mr. Sinha directed the Goa police to identify polling stations that are vulnerable where paramilitary forces would be deployed.
35 paramilitary companies had been deployed in the State, in the March 2012 State Assembly elections. The ECI has also directed police to map all polling stations.
Picture credits : www.india.com
