New Delhi, Sep 26: The ECI on Saturday extended the deadline for Delhi electors to file SIR-related claims and objections by one month or till October 30 and fixed November 30 as the last date for disposal of notices and claims and objections, an official said on Saturday.

The earlier deadline for Delhi electors, whose names were missing in the draft electoral roll, to file Form-6 along with supporting documents was September 30.

“In view of the request received from CEO Delhi, the period for filing claims and objections has been extended by the Commission till 30th October, 2026. The period for disposal of notices and claims & objections has been extended till 30th November 2026,” said the ECI after a meeting at Nirvachan Sadan.

The meeting, chaired by Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and attended by Election Commissioners S.S. Sandhu and Vivek Joshi, also relaxed the provisions related to physical appearance of electors who have received SIR notice and allowed them or their representatives to attend hearings before election officials through online mode.

“In case of any person to whom notice has been issued during the ongoing SIR, for being unmapped and logical discrepancies, BLOs will visit the homes of such persons for collection of documents and thereafter upload them on the ECINet, for decision by the ERO,” said the ECI statement.

“Such persons need not be called for hearing to the ERO/AERO office. Only in exceptional circumstances, as decided by the ERO, the hearing will be held preferably online. Any adult member of the family can be authorised by the elector to attend the hearing on their behalf, if required,” the statement said.

“Facilities for the online hearing to be strengthened. DEOs (District Election Officers) will create adequate number of help desks/hold special camps for the people living in night shelters, labourers, poor people, homeless, etc as per requirement,” it said.

The CEC-chaired meeting also extended the deadline for filing claims in Maharashtra.

“As per the request received from CEO Maharashtra, the period for filing claims and objections in Maharashtra has been extended by the Commission till 12th October, 2026. The period for disposal of notices and claims & objections in Maharashtra has been extended till 10th November 2026,” said the ECI. Earlier, the deadline for disposal of claims and objections was October 3.

The poll panel said that SIR has already been completed in 20 States/UTs including Bihar and West Bengal. Any person whose name has got left out during SIR or thereafter, and any person, including young/ first-time voter, may apply to the concerned ERO for inclusion of their name in the electoral rolls under the process of continuous updation.

In recent months, the Commission has taken numerous decisions, including SIR across the country. The order for the SIR issued on June 24, 2025, for all the States/UTs, starting with Bihar, followed by West Bengal and 30 other States/UTs, was issued with the unanimous approval of the Commission, said the statement.

The same has been upheld by the Supreme Court. The schedule for SIR for 12 States and UTs was issued on October 27, 2025, and those for 19 States/ UTs was issued on May 14, 2026 with the unanimous approval of the Commission, said the ECI.

The final figure of the number of electors will be known only after final publication in the remaining 12 states of Phase-III, it said.

Mumbai, Sep 26: In a major relief measure for the agrarian community, the MahaYuti‑led Maharashtra government on Saturday declared drought in 265 talukas across the state following an extensive review of the prevailing water deficit and crop conditions.

Reassuring affected agricultural households, Deputy Chief Minister Eknath Shinde affirmed that the administration will stand firmly behind farmers and ensure their festive season remains bright despite environmental hardship.

Following ground‑level inspections across affected districts by state ministers and reviews with the Agriculture and Revenue departments, an official Government Resolution (GR) was issued declaring drought under the Trigger‑1 framework.

DCM Shinde emphasised that the declaration is backed by an operational execution plan rather than remaining a cosmetic measure.

To alleviate financial distress on rural families, the state government has rolled out immediate relief mechanisms. Shinde said the state has waived land revenue levies, imposed immediate stays on loan recovery processes, and issued restructuring mandates for existing crop loans.

Orders have been passed to prevent disconnection of agricultural power pumps due to unpaid bills in drought‑hit regions, alongside energy tariff concessions. School and college examination fees for students from affected farm families have also been waived to prevent academic disruptions.

According to Shinde, norms under the Mahatma Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee Scheme (MGNREGS) have been relaxed to expand local employment opportunities. Drinking water tanker deployment, fodder supply arrangements for livestock, food grain security measures, and water conservation projects are being accelerated.

District Collectors have been instructed to conduct urgent, transparent assessments (panchnamas) of crop losses using GPS coordinates and high‑resolution geotagged photography. Financial compensation packages tied to direct crop damage will be distributed under a separate GR once these field evaluations are finalised.

Highlighting ongoing support, Shinde noted that Rs 10,115 crore has already been disbursed to over 12.58 lakh verified farmers under the Punyashlok Ahilyadevi Holkar Farmer Loan Waiver Scheme.

Urging farmers not to lose hope or take drastic measures, he reiterated that the Mahayuti government remains committed to supporting the agricultural sector through every stage of the crisis.

Kundara (Kollam), Sep 26: Union Home and Cooperation Minister Amit Shah on Saturday asked Kerala’s Cooperation Minister M. Liju to visit New Delhi and work out a comprehensive plan with the Centre to strengthen the cooperative sector in the state, while pitching women-led cooperatives as a key driver of rural economic empowerment.

Addressing a large women’s cooperative gathering at Kundara, HM Shah said Kerala had a strong foundation in the cooperative movement and urged the state to make greater use of the potential in sectors ranging from agriculture to fisheries.

“I don’t know how to speak Malayalam, but I give all of you my respects,” the Home Minister said at the outset, before welcoming those attending the programme.

HM Shah said the demand for a separate Ministry of Cooperation had existed since Independence and became a reality under Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

He said Kerala, with its long cooperative tradition, was well placed to benefit from the Centre’s initiatives.

He said more than 23,000 cooperative units were functioning in Kerala and urged the state to work with the Centre on expanding their activities.

“I am requesting the State Cooperation Minister to come to Delhi and work out plans to strengthen the cooperative sector,” he said.

HM Shah also highlighted the role of the National Cooperative Consumers’ Federation of India (NCCF) and NAFED in promoting women entrepreneurs.

He said NCCF was expanding its retail network and that Vanitha She Marts would provide women with a direct route to markets for their products.

He said products would be sourced directly from farmers, while cooperative institutions could help create stronger market linkages.

Referring to the Centre’s programmes, HM Shah said Bharat Atta and Bharat Rice were now available in Kerala and spoke of initiatives under the Atmanirbhar Bharat programme for providing pulse seeds to women.

He also distributed scholarships to children at the function.

HM Shah said the cooperative movement could become an important instrument for women’s economic empowerment, particularly in rural areas.

He cited the participation of women in NAFED and NCCF-related activities as an indication of the scale of the opportunity.

He also referred to measures taken by the Modi government for women, including the opening of bank accounts, the extension of maternity leave to 26 weeks, and changes concerning Muslim women and Haj.

Turning to Kerala’s coastline, HM Shah said the state had huge potential in the fishing sector and that the emerging blue economy could provide another area for cooperative expansion.

He asked the state Cooperation Minister to discuss the possibilities during his proposed visit to Delhi, particularly the scope for bringing the fisheries sector further into the cooperative framework.

HM Shah also said the Centre was ready to assist states in developing organic farming protocols and related initiatives.

The Home Minister arrived in Thiruvananthapuram on Saturday afternoon and flew by helicopter to Kollam for the Kundara programme, his first public engagement during the visit.

The programme, titled Sahkar Se Samriddhi, is aimed at strengthening women’s participation in the cooperative sector.

Minister of State for Tourism Suresh Gopi, State Cooperation and Excise Minister Shiju, Tourism and Culture Minister P.C. Vishnunath, state BJP president Rajeev Chandrasekhar and Kollam Lok Sabha member N.K. Premachandran attended the function.