Hyderabad Voters Struggle To Find Booth Level Officers For Electoral Roll Revision

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Hyderabad entered its 11th day on Saturday amid widespread confusion, as untraceable Booth Level Officers (BLOs) left lakhs of voters in neighborhoods like Madhuranagar and Jubilee Hills struggling to update their details.

The 30-day exercise has already completed ten days, but many residents complain that the crucial revision process is moving at a snail's pace. Voters who have been waiting for electoral staff to knock on their doors and hand over the prescribed forms report that personnel have yet to visit many local colonies.

Many residents who visited local ward offices and polling stations in search of guidance returned empty-handed, finding no officers available. A resident of Madhuranagar explained that there is no guidance or assistance for their queries, and they do not know when a BLO will arrive to hand over forms or verify voter details.

Furthermore, reports have emerged that some BLOs are avoiding door-to-door visits entirely. Instead, they are reportedly sitting in single locations and summoning voters to come and collect the forms themselves.

Even those voters who successfully received the SIR forms face difficulties. BLOs are reportedly handing over the documents and telling residents to call them only when the forms are filled and ready for collection. This has caused anxiety among voters. One resident expressed concern, stating they are unsure how to fill in all the details and worry that a single wrong entry could result in their names being struck off the rolls.

While some officials have advised residents to complete the process online and submit the acknowledgment, voters say the digital system is also complicated and difficult to navigate without proper guidance.

Meanwhile, BLOs have highlighted the severe logistical challenges they face during this campaign. A BLO in Jubilee Hills explained that they are expected to cover around 1,000 houses in a single month and visit each home three times, calling it a very tough task.

Despite these widespread complaints, electoral officials maintain that about 40 per cent of the SIR process in the GHMC area has already been completed.