“I found the form a little difficult because many details have to be entered,” Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar said on Tuesday, minutes after he filled out his own Enumeration Form at his Sadashivanagar residence in Bengaluru.
That form launched the state’s Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls, a month-long house-to-house check that runs until July 29. Election officials handed him the form and he submitted it on the spot. Bengaluru South Deputy Commissioner Yashwanth Gurukar was there. Shivakumar said he was the first public representative to complete the process.
His message to voters was simple. Check that your name is on the roll, and fill in the form. “If you do not safeguard your voter identity today, you may face difficulties in accessing government benefits in the future,” he said.
The mobile number
The phone number is the part voters should watch. Shivakumar said people can update their mobile number while submitting the form, and that the registered number receives the one-time password (OTP) used to download forms and reach other digital services tied to the rolls. “The phone number linked to your old voter ID may have changed. This is an opportunity to register a new mobile number,” he said. Names can be corrected and photographs updated if needed.
He also said the app is not the only route. “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.” Where required, residential and caste certificates can be submitted. Aadhaar details can be given voluntarily.
Booth Level Officers and Booth Level Agents have set up WhatsApp groups to help voters. If family members are away from home, one responsible member can sign on their behalf. Completed forms go back to the officers or agents by July 29.
Welfare and residency
Shivakumar tied the exercise to welfare. The government wants schemes to reach people who live in Karnataka and are registered to vote there, he said. “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?”
He said earlier that the state would issue permanent residence certificates to help people complete the process, available online through the Seva Sindhu portal and offline. “Whoever wants a residence certificate will get it both online and offline,” he said.
The draft roll is due on August 5. The final roll will be published on October 7, once claims and objections have been disposed of.
Sources
- Shivakumar launches SIR drive in Karnataka; urges voters to update records for welfare benefits
- CM Shivakumar launches Karnataka's SIR drive, urges voters to complete Enumeration Forms – Mangalorean.com
