Over 25% SIR enumeration forms not returned to BLOs so far
A week before the deadline of August 3, over 25% of the enumeration forms distributed as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral
A week before the deadline of August 3, over 25% of the enumeration forms distributed as part of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls (SIR) in the Hyderabad district are yet to be filled and returned. Of the total enumeration forms printed, only 53.33% have been digitised as per the data released by the District Election Officer and GHMC Commissioner R.V.Karnan, who urged the voters to return the filled in forms forthwith, as August 3 is the deadline for digitisation too. While the authorities are claiming 100% distribution, Mr. Karnan admitted that 10% of the enumeration forms are still left with the Booth Level Officers as nobody collected them.
Though as per the procedure determined by the Election Commission of India, the BLOs were to pay house-to-house visits, it has not happened everywhere with uniformity. Several BLOs distributed and received the forms from a central location in the colonies. In case of no claimants, the left over forms will be added to the Absent, Shifted, Dead (ASD) list, Mr. Karnan said, while addressing a press meet on Tuesday. As things stand now, of the total 47,36,669 forms printed for the 15 constituencies of the district, only 25,26,014 forms have been returned, clocking 53.33% digitisation. A total 4,79,405 (10.12%) voters have been added to ASD list. Even added with the undistributed forms, the total forms accounted for are less than 75%.
Karnan said the BLOs are not getting any more forms back and attributed the remaining to duplicate or shifted voters. “Some voters having another vote elsewhere might have made a choice to retain that, and forgo here. BLOs left the forms outside even where the doors were locked. Those forms might not have been returned,” he said, explaining possible scenarios. Malakpet recorded the lowest digitisation at 49.7%, followed by Musheerabad at 50.12%. The highest digitisation was only 58.74% recorded in Bahadurpura constituency. On the whole, at total 4,81,744 voters have filled in the enumeration form online. Karnan said the electoral list will not be linked with the welfare schemes, and asked people not to fall for false propaganda.
August 3 is also the closing date for rationalisation of polling stations so that no single polling station has more than 1,000 voters, he said, and added that Karwan, Chandrayangutta and Bahadurpura have more than 1,200 voters per polling station. August 10 is the date for draft electoral roll publication, after which notices will be issued to the voters with anomalies in forms, and claims and objections will be accepted from electors, which will all be disposed of before October 8. Final electoral rolls will be published on October 12.
The BriefWire