Hyderabad: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls began across Telangana on Thursday. While officials reported smooth progress in rural districts, several parts of Hyderabad witnessed delays due to printing issues and administrative changes.
The Election Commission has started distributing enumeration forms as part of the voter list revision. Officials said the process will speed up over the next few days.
Hyderabad Faces Initial Delays
The distribution of forms did not begin in a few Hyderabad Assembly constituencies on the first day. Officials said some Telugu forms had to be replaced with English versions after local requests.
The process also slowed down in LB Nagar and Dubbak. In Dubbak, officials delayed the work because of a change in the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO).
More Than 12 Lakh Forms Distributed
Election officials said they distributed around 12 lakh forms by 5 pm on Thursday. The state plans to distribute nearly 3.38 crore forms during the revision drive.
Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy described the delays as temporary. He said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will begin distribution in the remaining constituencies from Friday.
The Election Commission aims to complete the distribution within seven to eight days.
Polio Campaign Affected Distribution
The Pulse Polio campaign also affected the first day’s work. Many Anganwadi workers and Auxiliary Nurse Midwives are serving as Booth Level Officers. They were involved in the vaccination programme at the same time. As a result, officials could not reach some households on Thursday.
Residents Report Delay in Form Distribution
Some residents said they had not yet received the SIR forms.Officials, however, said the exercise remained peaceful. They also expressed confidence that distribution would gather pace from Friday.
English Forms Being Reprinted
GHMC Commissioner R.V. Karnan said authorities are printing English forms for constituencies that initially received Telugu versions. He added that officials will begin collecting completed forms after one week. The collection process will continue until July 24.
Draft Electoral Rolls on July 31
The Election Commission will publish the draft electoral rolls on July 31. Officials said every eligible voter, including those who already have an EPIC voter ID card, must submit the SIR enumeration form. Booth Level Officers will verify the information before preparing the final voter list.
The Commission will also invite claims and objections after publishing the draft rolls. This will allow voters to correct or update their details before the final electoral roll is released.