ElectoralRolls – Uttarakhand Launches Statewide Voter List Update Campaign
ElectoralRolls – The Election Commission of India has begun an extensive voter verification and electoral roll update exercise in Uttarakhand as part of its Special Intensive Revision programme. The initiative aims to improve the accuracy of voter records and ensure that electoral data remains current ahead of future elections.
Statewide Distribution of Enumeration Forms
On Monday, Uttarakhand Chief Electoral Officer Dr. BVRC Purushottam formally handed over the enumeration form to Chief Minister Pushkar Singh Dhami at the State Secretariat. The programme marks the beginning of a month-long campaign during which voter verification forms will be distributed across all districts of the state.
According to election officials, booth-level officers will collect and digitally upload voter information through the BLO application. The process is scheduled to continue until July 7, with authorities emphasizing timely participation from eligible voters. Assistant Chief Electoral Officer Mastu Das was also present during the event. Earlier, the same form was presented to Governor Lt Gen Gurmit Singh (Retd) at Lok Bhawan.
Congress Questions New Government Appointments
Meanwhile, the political atmosphere in the state witnessed fresh criticism from the opposition Congress party. Senior Congress spokesperson Garima Mehra Dasauni criticized the state government’s latest appointments of chairpersons and advisers, describing them as an attempt to provide political accommodation to ruling party leaders.
Dasauni argued that Uttarakhand is already facing financial challenges and should prioritize public welfare over additional political appointments. Referring to the state’s rising debt burden, she said resources should instead be directed toward employment opportunities, healthcare services, educational development, and filling vacant government positions.
Demand for Transparency on Public Spending
The Congress leader also called for greater transparency regarding expenditure associated with these appointments. She urged the government to release a detailed white paper outlining the financial costs and measurable outcomes linked to such positions.
Raising questions about appointments in state-run organizations, including tourism-related bodies, Dasauni asked whether selections were based on professional qualifications and performance or political loyalty. She stated that the opposition party would continue monitoring the issue and oppose any spending it considers an unnecessary burden on taxpayers.
Emotional Reunion After Nearly Five Decades
In a separate development that touched hearts across Uttarakhand, an elderly mother in Pithoragarh district was reunited with her long-lost son after 46 years.
The emotional meeting took place in Dauligaad village of Berinag, where 85-year-old Nandi Devi recognized a saffron-robed monk who arrived at her home seeking alms. To her astonishment, the visitor was her son, Buddhi Ballabh Upadhyay, who had left home as a teenager and had not returned for more than four decades.
A Journey That Led Back Home
Family members and villagers gathered as the mother and son embraced each other, overwhelmed with emotion. Witnesses described the reunion as a deeply moving moment that brought tears to many present.
Buddhi Ballabh recounted that after leaving home at the age of 15, he worked in vehicle-related jobs before spending time in Haridwar. Over the years, he embraced a spiritual path and eventually became a monk at a temple in Bikaner, Rajasthan, where he adopted the name Budh Nath.
He explained that his visit was inspired by a traditional monastic practice of receiving alms from one’s mother. During the reunion, he also inquired about his father, Tara Dutt, learning about developments in the family during his long absence. The extraordinary reunion brought an end to a mother’s decades-long wait and became a memorable moment for the entire village.