Telangana Considers Permanent Residence Certificate System Based On Karnataka Model

On Monday, 13 July 2026, State Government Advisor Mohammed Ali Shabbir announced in Hyderabad that the Telangana government is likely to constitute a Cabinet sub-committee to examine the feasibility of introducing a Permanent Residence Certificate (PRC) system on the lines of Karnataka. The proposed system aims to provide residents with an additional government-recognized document to establish their eligibility during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.

The proposal was initiated following a representation submitted by Shabbir Ali to Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy. The Chief Minister subsequently discussed the proposal with senior government officials to evaluate its implementation.

According to Shabbir Ali, the proposed certificate would assist residents who are unable to trace their names, or those of their family members, in the 2002 electoral rolls. The 2002 rolls are currently being used as a reference during the Special Intensive Revision exercise.

The Election Commission’s indicative list of approved documents for verification includes a Permanent Residence Certificate issued by a competent state authority. A PRC issued by the Telangana government could therefore be produced as supporting evidence if an elector is asked to establish their eligibility at a later stage.

Shabbir Ali clarified that voters are not required to submit documents while filling out enumeration forms during the initial house-to-house exercise. However, electors whose names cannot be linked to the 2002 electoral rolls may receive notices later and be asked to submit supporting documents to the electoral authorities.

The PRC is expected to benefit several specific groups of residents. This includes individuals who were too young to be registered as voters in 2002, women whose names and addresses changed after marriage, and families that have shifted between districts or constituencies.

Additionally, the certificate could assist residents whose names cannot be traced due to spelling or transliteration errors in old records. It is also designed to help poor and elderly residents who lack old birth, school, property, or employment records, as well as long-term residents whose documents are scattered across various government departments.