HYDERABAD: As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls gathers pace, Telangana Chief Electoral Officer C Sudharshan Reddy has sought to allay growing public anxiety, asserting that the exercise is meant to cleanse electoral rolls, not delete genuine voters.
He also dismissed concerns linking the deletion of voter names with welfare schemes, saying such issues fall entirely outside the Election Commission’s jurisdiction and are the responsibility of the state government.
Addressing a Meet the Press programme organised by the Press Club at Somajiguda on Friday, Sudharshan said the SIR is fundamentally different from the routine Special Summary Revision (SSR). While the SSR updates the existing electoral rolls, the SIR is a comprehensive exercise to prepare fresh rolls by identifying and removing the names of deceased persons and long-term migrated voters while ensuring that all eligible electors remain on the list.
As part of the exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have been distributing Enumeration Forms (EFs) to voters whose names already appear in the electoral rolls. Sudharshan said nearly 98% of the forms have been distributed across the state and around 85 lakh have already been returned. The distribution process is scheduled to conclude by July 24, with acknowledgements being issued for every form submitted.
Reassuring voters that there was no reason to panic, the CEO said submitting the EF to the BLO was mandatory for inclusion in the draft electoral roll. Those whose names are omitted can apply through Form 6 for fresh enrolment or Form 8 for corrections, shifting or inclusion during August. Voters who did not receive Enumeration Forms can also use these forms during the same period.
Warning against duplicate registrations, Sudharshan said such cases could attract imprisonment of up to one year or a monetary penalty. Duplicate entries will be identified through Demographic Similar Entries (DSE) using dedicated applications, after which voters will be asked to indicate their preferred constituency before any action is taken.
Responding to complaints that BLOs had not visited several localities in Hyderabad, he attributed the problem to non-uniform addresses and frequent migration of residents. Municipal staff have been asked to assist BLOs in completing the exercise, while voters can also submit their forms online.
Urging greater public awareness, Sudharshan asked voters who had not received EFs to contact their BLOs. He said complaints against BLOs could be taken up with supervisors or Electoral Registration Officers (EROs).
On extending the SIR deadline, Sudharshan said the decision rests solely with the Election Commission of India, though the state would make suitable representations if required.
