SIR anomalies may cross one crore in Telangana: CEO

Over two weeks into the distribution of enumeration forms as part of the Special Intensive Revision of Electoral Rolls in Telangana, fear and confusion still continue to cloud the comprehension of the voters about the process, their status and the consequences. Swathi Vadlamudi and Syed Mohammed try to clear the air through a conversation with the Chief Electoral Officer C. Sudharshan Reddy. Edited excerpts from the interview. A lot of confusion persists with regard to the filling of the enumeration form. If you look at the enumeration form, there are three different stages. Pre-filled information will be on the top. It contains your address, your name, your photo, the BLO’s name, and BLO contact number. It is calibrated to each individual voter. The first box beneath relates to the information that an elector needs to give, if he had been an elector in 2002. You need to fill in information from 2002. In case you were not a voter in 2002, you will need to fill the details of your parents, who were voters in 2002, in the second box [adjacent to the first box]. In case you do not know your parents’ details from 2002, you may leave both blank and fill up the box beneath with the current details, sign it and give it back. In such a case, your name will be published in the draft roll, and a notice will be issued. You will need to give a sufficient reply, providing any of the 11 identity documents. If someone enters incorrect details, can they take a photocopy of the other form and fill in correct details & give? No. It is better to stick to the form given to them. The paper quality is different. They may write the details on the photocopy first, and after verification, enter properly in the form. What will happen if there is a name mismatch? If there is some anomaly between names then and now, they will give notice. My name is C.Sudharshan Reddy. In 2002, it was with the initial ‘C’. Now, I have expanded it in the EPIC card. I will receive notices, to which I will need to respond with relevant documents. Many people are worried because they shifted home, but not their vote. What are the options? They know their previous address. My advice to them will be to try to go there and take the enumeration form, fill, and give it. Second option is, let it be written as shifted. They can again apply for fresh one, or fill out Form 8 for address change in the month of August. You won’t figure in draft roll. But to figure in the final roll, you can give your form 8 or form 6. Will the requirements for fresh application be different now than they were previously? The elector needs to fill up Form 6 with a declaration form, and any of the 12 listed documents. What would happen if the elector has none of the listed documents? Such as aged persons who never went to school and do not have a birth certificate? Any other ID card that you have. Apart from Aadhaar, any other document needs to be given. Ration card is from State government. During notice period it can be shown. In some stray cases, the quasi-judicial authority may consider. Is there any headway with regard to demands by certain political parties, that ration cards, driver’s license and permanent residence proof should be considered as valid documents? During the notice period, the electoral registration officer will have to take a call. West Bengal experience has created a lot of fear about notices served under SIR and how they might be linked to the citizenship. Any words of confidence that you can give to the voters? Each ERO is a quasi-judicial authority, will go into the details of the elector, to whom notice has been issued. He has to search for ways to see that the elector is in, rather than throw him/her out. Unless there is substantial discrepancy which cannot be in any way addressed, such people may not figure in it. Will the EROs be authorised to take their own call without issuing notice? Notice has to be issued by the ERO. How many discrepancies/anomalie