SIR
Mysuru: Even as electoral registration officers are verifying the identity of 43.8 lakh voters in Karnataka after listing them under the categories of anomalies and no-mapping, the Election Commission (EC) has received an additional 16.1 lakh forms for corrections (Form 8) and new registration (Form 6) since mid-June. This has added to the burden of election officials, particularly the booth-level officers (BLOs). Though there is no deadline for the corrections and new registration, BLOs are being directed to clear these forms along with SIR work. A BLO explained that correction and new registration in the electoral roll is a continuous process for them. But along with SIR work, it has added to their burden — if these applications are kept unattended, the details of voters would appear in the final list as they are in the draft list without any corrections. So, their supervisors are asking BLOs to clear these applications too.
Showkath Pasha, Congress’ representative who is overseeing SIR process work in Mysuru city, said as the electoral roll is being cleaned up in the latest SIR process, many voters are applying for corrections by submitting Form 8. Mysuru has generated 1.28 lakh notices as part of the SIR process seeking clarification from voters about their identity. When contacted DC Lakshmikanth Reddy, who is district election officer, said all the application forms 6, 6A, 7 and 8, will be processed before the SIR deadline and it will be updated before publication of Final electoral roll.
If these forms are not verified and updated in the electoral roll by the respective election officers now, the “wrong entries” would remain as they are and would appear likewise in the final list, which is expected to be out in the last week of Oct.