Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Tuesday launched Karnataka's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls by filling out his own Enumeration Form at his Sadashivanagar residence and urged all eligible voters to complete the exercise to safeguard their voting rights.
He underlined that voter registration is key to accessing government benefits. The Chief Minister received the Enumeration Form from election officials and submitted the completed form as the statewide month-long house-to-house verification exercise commenced.
Bengaluru South Deputy Commissioner Yashwanth Gurukar, whose jurisdiction includes Doddalahalli village in Kanakapura the Chief Minister's native village was present on the occasion. Addressing the media, CM Shivakumar said the SIR campaign had begun from his residence as he was the first public representative to complete the process.
"The Special Intensive Revision has started from my residence. Officers from Bengaluru South district came here, I filled up the Enumeration Form and submitted it. I urge every eligible voter to complete the process," he said. The Chief Minister admitted that he found the form slightly difficult to fill as it required detailed information, but said the process was important to ensure that every eligible citizen remained on the electoral roll.
"I found the form a little difficult because many details have to be entered. There is an option to provide residential and caste certificates wherever they are accepted," he said. Appealing to voters to actively participate in the exercise, CM Shivakumar said preserving one's voting right was essential.
"If you do not safeguard your voter identity today, you may face difficulties in accessing government benefits in the future," he said. The Chief Minister said the government intended to ensure that welfare schemes and benefits reached only genuine residents of Karnataka.
"This decision has been taken in several states. We want government programmes and welfare schemes to reach people who are residents of Karnataka and have their voter registration here," he said. Explaining the process, CM Shivakumar said voters could update their mobile numbers while submitting the Enumeration Form, enabling them to receive One-Time Passwords (OTPs) for future digital services related to electoral rolls.
"The phone number linked to your old voter ID may have changed. This is an opportunity to register a new mobile number. The registered number will receive the OTP, which can be used for downloading forms and accessing services. There is also scope to correct names and update photographs if required," he said.
He said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) and Booth Level Agents (BLAs) had created WhatsApp groups to assist voters during the exercise. "If family members are away from home, one responsible member of the family can sign the Enumeration Forms on their behalf.
The completed forms should be returned to the BLOs or BLAs by July 29," he said. CM Shivakumar advised people not to rely solely on the mobile application if they found it difficult to use. "Even I found it difficult to complete the process through the app. I would advise people to collect the physical form, fill it out and submit it.
That is much easier," he remarked. He also said Aadhaar details could be voluntarily provided as additional information wherever required. Referring to welfare schemes, the Chief Minister said some states had tightened eligibility criteria for government benefits and Karnataka could also adopt similar measures in future.
"Some states have stopped extending welfare benefits to people who are registered elsewhere. The same criteria may come to Karnataka. Why should a person receive benefits in multiple states? Welfare schemes should reach those who are genuine residents of Karnataka," he said.
It can be noted that earlier, Karnataka Chief Minister announced that the state govt will issue permanent residence certificates to help citizens complete the Election Commission's Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process. He also urged eligible voters to participate in the SIR drive and complete their registration.
"The certificates will be available both online through the Seva Sindhu portal and offline. Whoever wants a residence certificate will get it both online and offline," he stated. The SIR of electoral rolls commenced across Karnataka on Tuesday and will continue until July 29, during which Booth Level Officers will conduct door-to-door verification and collect Enumeration Forms from all registered electors.
The draft electoral roll is scheduled to be published on August 5, while the final electoral roll will be released on October 7 after the disposal of claims and objections.