Hyderabad voters struggle as BLOs remain untraceable during SIR process

The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls in Hyderabad has run into confusion, with many Booth Level Officers remaining untraceable and lakhs of voters waiting for assistance. Voters have complained about delays, lack of guidance and difficulties in filling the prescribed forms.

Hyderabad: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Hyderabad, which entered its 11th day on Saturday, appears to be descending into confusion, with lakhs of voters either eagerly waiting or desperately chasing the staff assigned to the exercise.

In many parts of the district, the process has been moving at a snail’s pace, with the Booth Level Officers (BLOs) remaining untraceable for voters. While voters await the staff knocking on their doors and handing over the prescribed forms, the personnel are yet to visit many colonies.

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Complaints continue to pour in about voters being in a fix over the delay in the exercise, which has already completed 10 of the earmarked 30 days. Many also lament that their visits to ward offices and polling stations have failed, with the officers not being available there. “There is no guidance or assistance for our queries. We don’t know when a BLO will arrive to give the forms or check details,” said a resident of Madhuranagar.

There were also reports that BLOs, instead of visiting individual households, were sitting at one place and summoning voters to come and collect the forms.

The plight of those who received the SIR forms is no less. The BLOs are simply handing over the forms and asking voters to fill them and call them once they are ready to be collected. “We are not sure how to fill in all the details and are worried that one wrong entry could result in our names being struck off the electoral rolls,” said another resident.

Most voters are seeking the assistance of BLOs in filling the forms and hope that they would sit with them and guide them through the process. There were instances of the assigned officials advising voters to fill the forms online and hand over the acknowledgement. “Even the online process is confusing for us. Unless someone guides us, we will find it tough to fill in the forms,” quipped a voter.

However, the BLOs have their own tale of woes to narrate. One of the BLOs in Jubilee Hills described the task as a tough one and said, “We are expected to cover around 1,000 houses in a month and visit them three times. It’s a tough ask.”

The officials, meanwhile, maintain that about 40 per cent of the SIR process in GHMC has already been completed.