Telangana SIR: ASEEM, ADALAH urge govt to ease document rules for vulnerable voters
HYDERABAD: As Telangana begins its Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise, two civil society groups, Association for Socio-Economic Empowerment of Marginalised (ASEEM) and ADALAH, Access to Justice Network, have appealed to the state government for urgent action. They want officials to act quickly so procedural delays and missing documents don’t prevent vulnerable groups like the elderly, women, migrant workers, and the poor from voting.
On July 30, 2024, both groups sent a joint letter to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy and the Chief Secretary. In their letter, they warned that key problems could disrupt the SIR process, which started on June 25, 2026.
Their main concern is that Telangana no longer issues Permanent Residence or Nativity Certificates. Previously, the former Andhra Pradesh government gave out these certificates to help prove local roots. Telangana has stopped this practice.
“Without these certificates, people with missing or incomplete records face major problems,” said S.Q. Masood, Secretary of ASEEM. As a solution, the groups say the government should restore these certificates or offer another way for people to prove their long-term ties to Telangana.
After speaking to people in the field, the groups found many are anxious about the SIR process. Many applicants, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, struggle to prove their age, identity, address, or family links because their records are incomplete or missing.
Given these challenges, M.A. Mujjeb Ayub, founder of ADALAH, said the issue is urgent. “Delays in getting important certificates and records can make things harder and keep people from voting,” he explained.
To address these issues, ASEEM and ADALAH say the government should immediately start issuing Permanent Residence or Nativity Certificates again, or create another way for people to prove where they live. They want fast-track counters to quickly process applications for essential certificates. They also urge the government to be flexible about paperwork, accepting other documents when people do not have the usual records. The groups stress that these changes should apply across all districts so every voter has a fair chance in the SIR process.
The organizations ended their letter by asking the government to act with empathy and speed. “Citizens should not suffer because of delays or missing documents they can’t control. If the government helps now, it will build public trust and help the SIR process run smoothly,” added the statement released by both the organizations.
