BENGALURU: Even as the state government on Monday announced comprehensive guidelines for issuing of Permanent Residence Certificates (PRC), replacing the existing framework for residential and domicile certificates, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar urged every eligible voter to fill and submit Enumeration Forms as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This is to ensure people’s voting rights remain intact after the SIR process that begins on June 30, he added.
“Failure to enrol during SIR could result in deletion of your names from electoral rolls. BLOs will visit each household up to three times to distribute the forms. If voters fail to meet them or call them, they will lose their voting rights,” he cautioned. Shivakumar said he will personally submit his own enumeration form at his residence on Tuesday.
He said tenants and others without their own homes can obtain residence certificates by producing Aadhaar, electoral roll details or other prescribed identity documents as local authorities have been empowered to issue these certificates.
Voters can also log in and submit forms through their mobile phones. Each BLO can distribute around 50 forms a day and that is why a month has been allotted for the exercise. Forms can also be downloaded directly by citizens, he added.
He said the government’s responsibility is to ensure that every citizen retains the right to vote. On whether the government has confidence in the Election Commission, he said the government’s priority is to create awareness among people.
On concerns over deletion of voters’ names like in West Bengal, he said the government has taken the issue seriously and is conducting awareness campaigns, setting up assistance centres and issuing advertisements to ensure no eligible voter loses the right to vote.
Asked if it is feasible to reach 5.5 crore voters within a month, he said the government already delivers Anna Bhagya scheme to 4.5 crore beneficiaries and possesses records of 5.5 crore citizens with caste certificates. He said voters can also use their EPIC number while submitting details.
Chief Minister DK Shivakumar said the revenue department has authorised deputy tahsildars to issue permanent residence certificates (PRCs). In all, 49,320 assistance centres will be set up at every gram panchayat and urban ward. Eligible citizens can download required documents, and those who have registered mobile numbers with their caste certificates can receive them through WhatsApp.
The government has decided to provide doorstep assistance to all 5.5 crore citizens, Shivakumar said, urging everyone to safeguard their voting rights. He warned that those who fail to retain their voting rights may face hurdles in availing benefits under guarantee schemes, pensions and other state welfare programmes.
WHAT NEXT
PRCs brought under the Sakala Act for guaranteed service delivery
Help desks to be set up in all gram panchayats and urban local body ward offices within 7 days
Applications can be submitted through Seva Sindhu, AJSK and other notified portals
Existing centres including Nadakacheris, Bengaluru One, Karnataka One, Grama One and CSCs will continue services
Government to use Kutumba and other authenticated databases to simplify verification and reduce paperwork
DCs to monitor implementation
Revenue Department empowered to issue SOPs and expand services