Civil society groups urge Karnataka CM to extend SIR process by 3 months
Several civil society organisations in Karnataka on Monday urged Chief Minister D K Shivakumar to intervene in the SIR of electoral rolls, alleging large-scale deletions and seeking a three-month extension of the enumeration process.
In a letter to the CM, the organisations claimed that 1.09 crore voters were on the Absent, Shifted, Duplicate, Dead and Others list, while nearly half of Bengaluru's voters could disappear from the electoral rolls, with deletions exceeding 60 per cent in nearly 3,000 booths.
They claimed that many elderly persons had been marked as "dead", people who had gone elsewhere for work had been classified as "absent", and those who could not properly fill out enumeration forms had been placed under "others" and marked for deletion.
The organisations alleged that people who had shifted their residence after 2002 were not being provided enumeration forms.
In the letter, the organisations alleged that Form 8, meant for voters seeking changes in address, was not being provided, while existing voters were being asked to use Form 6, which is meant for new enrolments.
They termed this a violation of the Election Commission's rules.
They criticised the Election Commission for allegedly failing to adequately prepare for the exercise and create public awareness about it, and for not providing sufficient training to Booth Level Officers.
The letter said the timelines were inadequate for BLOs to visit households, distribute and explain the forms, collect them and upload the details.
The organisations urged the Karnataka government to seek a three-month extension of the enumeration process and conduct the entire exercise over one year.
They called for fresh door-to-door visits by BLOs in all booths, distribution of enumeration forms and Form 8 to people who had shifted residences, and correction of minor errors involving voters listed under "Absent" and "Others".
They sought an extensive public awareness campaign, including door-to-door outreach and help desks, either by the Election Commission or the Karnataka government.
If the Election Commission does not agree to the measures, the organisations urged the government to discuss the matter in the Assembly, pass a resolution and urge the Election Commission of India to take the required action.
They suggested approaching the Supreme Court, if necessary, to protect the interests of Karnataka and ensure that eligible voters are not excluded from the electoral rolls.
The letter was issued on behalf of citizens of Karnataka and lists actor Prakash Raj along with representatives of several civil society organisations and platforms such as Eddelu Karnataka, Muslim Muthahade Mahaz, Namma Matha Namma Hakku Vedike, Active Bangalore and Nagarika Matha Kavalu Samithi.
