Hyderabad Gated Communities Mobilise for SIR Electoral Roll Revision
HYDERABAD: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls has gathered pace in gated communities across Hyderabad’s IT Corridor. Resident welfare associations (RWAs) stepped in after many residents were informed that failing to complete the enumeration process could lead to the deletion of their names from the electoral rolls.
Resident Welfare Associations Lead the Drive
To support residents, RWAs dedicated weekends to helping people fill out and submit SIR enumeration forms. Initially, many younger residents showed little interest because they found it difficult to locate their family details in the 2002 electoral rolls.
However, committee members later explained that the Election Photo Identity Card (EPIC) is an important identity document. They also warned that people who did not complete the process could lose their names from the electoral rolls. As a result, participation increased across many housing societies.
BLOs Set Up Help Desks in Housing Societies
Meanwhile, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) set up help desks in the common areas of several gated communities. They distributed enumeration forms, guided residents, and collected the completed forms on the spot.
“The process is taking time because the forms are difficult to fill,” said A. Narasimhan of Golf View Apartment in Nanakramguda.
In Tellapur, officials designated a government community hall as the SIR centre for residents of three to four gated communities. Subsequently, resident groups shared the location through WhatsApp, making it easier for people to visit the centre.
“People did not realise the importance of the exercise at first. Now they are visiting the community hall to complete the process,” said Ramana Eshwaragari, president of the Tellapur Neighbourhood Associations.
Language and Technical Issues Slow the Process
At the same time, many societies received forms only in Telugu. Therefore, RWAs formed volunteer teams to assist residents who could not read the language.
Besides the language barrier, residents encountered several technical issues. Some struggled to locate their names in the 2002 electoral rolls, while others faced difficulties submitting forms online.
To simplify the process, several associations printed copies of the 2002 electoral rolls for their Assembly constituencies. This allowed residents to verify their records more easily. In addition, they shared the Election Commission of India and Chief Electoral Officer, Telangana voter helpline number, 1950, through WhatsApp groups. BLOs also helped many residents trace their details.
Another challenge involved name mismatches. The online system accepted forms only when the names on the EPIC and Aadhaar matched exactly, including initials. Consequently, many residents chose to submit physical forms directly to BLOs.
“The process is moving smoothly in our society with the support of our elected committee members,” said a resident of Aparna Sarovar in Nallagandla.
