Punjab orders an inquiry into deletions from voters’ lists

faridkot: the punjab government has directed the commissioners of all the four divisions in the state to inquire into the matter of large-scale deletion of genuine votes during the last few months of the sad-bjp government. in a fax message received here in the commissioner’s office, the principal secretary to the government of punjab has directed thorough investigation into the matter in the districts falling under his jurisdiction, with the help of the deputy commissioner of each district.a similar message has been received in the office of the commissioner of ferozepur division.it is specifically mentioned in the faxed letter that an exhaustive onthe-spot investigation should be conducted and sarpanches, panches and municipal commissioners should be taken into confidence. the commissioners have been strictly directed to submit their respective reports by march 31. the directions have been issued in view of the notification of the punjab government, passed on march 22, for constituting a highlevel inquiry committee to look into the large-scale deletion of genuine votes in the years 2001 and 2002. rps pawar, principal secretary to the government of punjab, has been appointed chairman of the inquiry committee by the punjab government. numerous complaints of largescale deletion of votes were lodged with the election commissioner by the congress candidates before the february 13 assembly elections. it was alleged that thousands of genuine votes of congress sympathisers were deleted during the revision of voter lists, allegedly on the instructions of the ruling sad. according to sources in the district election office, while about 10,000 votes were deleted in the three constituencies of faridkot district during 2001, more than 20,000 votes were deleted in these constituencies in january 2002. it is learnt that most of the deleted votes were genuine.