The sources also said the ECI has decided to adopt a two-pronged monitoring mechanism for the hearing sessions, one by the special roll observers appointed by the Commission to review the SIR exercise, and the other by senior ECI officials monitoring the process online directly from the Commission’s headquarters in New Delhi.

The Commission has also decided to appoint micro-observers for the second stage of the three-stage revision exercise, which will involve the filing of claims and objections and the notice phase, the sources said.

They added that the issuance, hearing, verification and decision on enumeration forms, and their disposal, will be carried out concurrently by the EROs.

Thereafter, the third stage of the SIR will commence, during which the ECI will publish the final voters’ list on February 14 next year.

Soon after the publication of the final voters’ list, the ECI will announce the dates for the crucial Assembly elections scheduled to be held next year, the sources said.