‘Lapses’ in Karnataka SIR: Civil society groups seek CM Shivakumar’s intervention
Bengaluru, Aug 17 (IANS) Civil society organisations on Monday urged Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar to intervene in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, alleging that the process could result in eligible voters being unfairly removed from the voters’ list.
It may be noted that the major phase of the SIR process concluded on Monday, with August 17 being the final day for the submission of Enumeration Forms in the state.
A delegation of representatives from ‘Eddelu Karnataka’ and other civil society organisations, led by actor Prakash Raj, met Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar at Vidhana Soudha and discussed alleged lapses in the SIR process before submitting a memorandum.
The representatives claimed that Karnataka was witnessing one of the highest levels of voter deletions in the country.
They said around 1.09 crore voters had been categorised as ASDDO (Already Shifted, Dead, Duplicate or Otherwise), raising concerns that a large number of names could disappear from the electoral rolls, particularly in Bengaluru.
They also claimed that the deletion rate had exceeded 60 per cent in around 3,000 polling booths across the state.
Seeking measures to ensure that the SIR exercise is conducted in a fair and transparent manner, the delegation urged the Chief Minister to ask the Election Commission to extend the SIR process by at least three months and provide one year to complete the exercise.
The organisations also urged authorities not to immediately delete voters categorised as ‘Shifted’, ‘Absent’ and ‘Others’. Instead, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) should conduct door-to-door verification before any names are removed from the electoral rolls, they said.
They further sought necessary forms and facilities to enable shifted voters to transfer their electoral registration and provide opportunities for new eligible voters to register.
“The state government itself should take the initiative to ensure that eligible voters remain on the electoral rolls. Government personnel should visit households to provide information, and helpline centres should be established to assist voters,” the delegation said.
The civil society representatives also urged the government to discuss the issue in the Legislative Assembly if the Election Commission was unwilling to take corrective measures.
They said the state government should pass a resolution and put pressure on the Election Commission of India to address their concerns. If necessary, the government should also approach the Supreme Court to safeguard the interests of voters in Karnataka, they urged.
–IANS
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