Voters make repeated trips to respond to SIR notices
KARIMNAGAR: Voters in Karimnagar are facing difficulties responding to notices issued as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, with many being asked to appear at municipal offices and submit documents to explain discrepancies in their records.
The draft electoral roll contains the names of the affected voters, but election officials have flagged differences between their current details and those recorded in the 2002 comprehensive revision.
Elderly voters struggle to attend verification hearings
Chiluka Kanakavva of Durgamma Gadda in Karimnagar found her name in the draft electoral roll. However, officials issued her a notice citing a discrepancy between her present voter details and those in the 2002 roll and asked her to appear at the corporation office.
As Kanakavva could not attend because of her old age, her son Chiluka Vinod Kumar appeared for the hearing. He submitted the Aadhaar and voter ID cards of his parents along with other supporting documents.
Mohammad Arif Mohinuddin of Ameer Nagar in Karimnagar also found his name in the draft roll. He had been a voter in the 2002 SIR as well. However, officials cited a difference between his old and current details and issued him a notice. He has been asked to appear for the hearing on August 31.
Booth-level officers (BLOs) are asking voters to appear and provide explanations and supporting documents. Elderly people and persons with disabilities are finding the process particularly difficult.
On Wednesday, hundreds of voters turned up at the Karimnagar municipal corporation office with various documents to respond to the SIR notices. Special counters were operated for the purpose despite the Milad-un-Nabi holiday.
Several voters questioned why discrepancies were not pointed out when enumeration forms were collected from their homes. They said they were being asked to visit municipal offices only after receiving notices.
Voters also complained about a lack of arrangements at the civic office, including drinking water and other basic facilities. Families said bringing elderly people who are confined to beds and persons with disabilities to the offices was particularly difficult.
Minor spelling errors and age gaps trigger notices
Voters who visited the Karimnagar civic office on Wednesday included people whose names had minor spelling errors or whose surnames had been entered incorrectly.
Officials have also flagged cases involving age discrepancies. These include siblings having an age gap of less than nine months, parents and children having an age gap of less than 15 years or more than 50 years, and grandparents and grandchildren having an age difference of less than 40 years.
Another issue concerns voters who did not know their exact dates of birth. Some said they had given approximate ages, while different dates and years were subsequently recorded in Aadhaar cards, creating discrepancies in their electoral records.
Voters whose names, or those of their parents, could not be linked to the 2002 electoral roll were reportedly issued notices under the “unmapped” category.
Some voters also said they received notices because of differences in their parents’ names or changes in recorded relationship details.
One voter said he had submitted proof that he was on the electoral roll in 2002, but still received a notice because his father’s details had not been recorded.
About 92 lakh electors face notices across Telangana
The notice process is part of the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Telangana. About 92 lakh electors have been identified for notices over discrepancies in their electoral records or because their details could not be mapped to the 2002 rolls.
The exercise has left many voters who had initially been relieved to find their names in the newly released draft roll worried about having to prove their details again.
