SIR in Hyderabad: Non-tech-savvy BLOs may pose challenge during exercise

Hyderabad: Hyderabad and all other districts of Telangana are going to see Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in April, and Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are going to play a crucial role in the exercise.

However, as many BLOs are school teachers or Anganwadi workers, they lack technical skills.

Although trainings are being given, some BLOs still lack clarity on the rules of the upcoming exercise.

Need to be tech-savvy

As the process of SIR is completely digital, BLOs need to be tech-savvy to handle the mammoth exercise.

During Phase II of the exercise, which was conducted in 12 states and union territories, some citizens alleged on social media that their BLOs were not familiar with the updates on the BLO App and were struggling to handle the exercise.

Even in the case of Hyderabad, many BLOs are still not clear about the exercise rules.

BLOs’ confusion during SIR progeny mapping in Hyderabad

As part of the pre-SIR exercise, the process of progeny mapping is going on in the city, wherein voters are either being linked or mapped based on the 2002 list. Linking is done if a voter’s name appears in the 2002 list, whereas mapping is done if a relative’s name is in the list.

Recently speaking with Siasat.com, a BLO supervisor, Muneer, from the Bahadurpura Assembly constituency said that the following six relations are considered relatives for the purpose of SIR:

1. Father
2. Mother
3. Maternal grandfather
4. Maternal grandmother
5. Paternal grandfather
6. Paternal grandmother

Training material prepared for SIR in West Bengal states that if an elector’s name does not appear in the last revision, details of the father, mother, grandfather, grandmother, or other relatives can be entered.

Similarly, the online standard operating procedure (SOP) for filling SIR enumeration forms gives three options to voters:

1. That their own name exists in the last SIR roll
2. That their parents’ or grandparents’ names exist
3. That neither does

As nothing like paternal or maternal grandfathers and grandmothers is mentioned, it includes both sides.

This interpretation has also been reiterated by election officials in other states, including Uttar Pradesh, where authorities clarified that grandparents on both the maternal and paternal sides are valid for linking.

Although most BLOs are clear about this rule, some are still confused about it. Clarity among BLOs on the rules is crucial, since proper mapping can reduce the workload of electoral registration officers and avoid unnecessary notices being issued to voters later.

Documents needed during SIR

If a voter is successfully linked through the mapping process, no documents will be needed.

Those who remain unlinked will be issued notices later in the SIR process and asked to submit proof from a prescribed list.

These include government identity cards or pension orders, certificates issued before July 1, 1987, by public authorities or banks, birth certificates, passports, educational certificates, permanent residence certificates, forest rights documents, caste certificates, family registers, NRC records where applicable, or government land or housing allotment papers.

For Aadhaar, separate Election Commission directions will apply.

The documentation required will also depend on a voter’s date of birth.

Those born before July 1, 1987, must submit proof for themselves.

Those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must provide a document for themselves and one parent.

Voters born after December 2, 2004, will have to submit proof for themselves as well as for both parents.