SIR notices: Who can skip personal hearing in Telangana?

Telangana voters served notices during the Special Intensive Revision can seek exemption from personal hearings in certain cases. Elderly, outstation and some prominent individuals may authorise family members to appear for them, subject to the Electoral Registration Officer’s approval.

Hyderabad: Not all who are served notices as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral roll will have to attend an in-person hearing in Telangana.

Telangana Chief Electoral Office (CEO) sources have disclosed that celebrities, VIPs, industry personalities and elderly individuals who are flagged for anomalies or unmapped in the SIR 2002 list have a provision to authorise someone within the family to represent them during the in-person hearing.

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Such individuals must furnish original documents before the Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) or Assistant EROs via the authorised person during the hearing process. The same provision has also been extended to people who are currently not residing in the State and individuals suffering from chronic health issues.

“Those seeking exemption must give an authorization letter to the ERO, who has the discretion to give exemption from personal hearing. If the ERO is not satisfied with the response and documents submitted, he/she might call for a personal hearing again,” said a senior Telangana CEO official.

The Telangana CEO identified anomalies, including mismatch of names and incorrect age between the present and last SIR, in forms submitted by 60,50,918 voters, while 32,36,659 electors could not be mapped with the SIR 2002 list.

So far, more than 1.50 lakh voters have been served notices, while 75 lakh notices have already been downloaded by the EROs and AEROs. These notices will be printed and distributed to the voters via the BLOs, who will take acknowledgment, along with a photo of serving notice.

Electors may submit supporting documents through the voters’ portal, the BLO app, or appear for an in-person hearing at EROs or AEROs for anomalies in their enumeration form. In the case of SIR 2002 unmapped voters, the electors need to present themselves at the ERO or AEROs office with supporting original documents.

“In addition to in-person hearings, we will be holding Grama Sabhas from August 27, where voters can rectify anomalies by submitting supporting original documents,” the senior official added.

– Total electors: 3,38,26,448

– Electors who submitted enumeration forms: 2,64,87,213

– Total No of Electors under the ASDD: 73,39,235

– Electors with anomalies: 60,50,918

– Electors with no SIR 2002 list mapping: 32,36,659

– Notices downloaded so far: 75 lakh

– Notices served so far: 1.50 lakh

Top five district-wise voters with anomalies

– Hyderabad: 6,72,678

– Rangareddy: 5,60,201

– Nizamabad: 3,91,453

– Sangareddy: 3,47,682

– Medchal-Malkajgiri: 3,34,252

Top five district-wise unmapped voters

– Medchal-Malkajgiri: 10,72,599

– Rangareddy: 6,72,979

– Hyderabad: 5,80,908

– Sangareddy: 1,12,749

– Karimnagar: 61,882

SIR Schedule

– Period for filing claims and objections on draft electoral roll up to September 16

– Notice phase and disposal of claims and objections up to October 15

– Final electoral roll publication: October 19