Telangana Electors Flag Discrepancies and Errors in SIR Voter Roll Notices

Electors in Telangana, including residents in Jubilee Hills, Sultan Shahi, and Malkajgiri, have raised concerns over procedural errors, incomplete information, and short deadlines as the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise entered its notice phase, running from August 17 to October 10.

Electors whose names appear on the draft electoral roll have begun receiving notices for logical discrepancies or have been checking the Election Commission of India (ECI) website to track notices. However, several recipients reported significant issues with the notices they received. An elector residing in Mukarampura, Karimnagar, stated that a notice she received lacked an issue date, official signature, and stamp, while also failing to mention the hearing venue. In Karimnagar, some hearing dates were scheduled for August 26, coinciding with the Milad-un-Nabi celebration.

The notices have cited various anomalies regarding age gaps. In the Mukarampura case, the notice claimed an age difference between siblings was under nine months, which the elector disputed, attributing it to older record discrepancies. Near Sultan Shahi, an elector was issued a notice citing an age gap of only 12 years between her and her mapped parent. In Jubilee Hills, resident Afshan Siddiqui received an anomaly notice for an age difference of over 50 years with her father, prompting her to submit her passport and birth certificate online.

Electors navigating the ECI portal have encountered additional hurdles. The portal requires entering an EPIC or reference number and an OTP sent to the registered mobile number, presenting difficulties for those whose mobile numbers are not linked. In the Malkajgiri constituency, an elector reported confusion after the website asked users to upload an extract of the last SIR.

In response to the tight timelines, non-governmental organisations ADALAH and ASEEM submitted a joint representation to the Chief Election Commissioner of India and the Chief Electoral Officer of Telangana. M.A. Mujeeb of ADALAH stated they requested at least 15 clear days from the actual serving of the notice rather than the print date, noting that gathering documents takes time, particularly for people with disabilities, those with limited educational backgrounds, or people unfamiliar with the system.

Activists have also urged the Chief Electoral Officer and District Election Officers to release instructional videos on social media to clarify the notice phase and reduce confusion among the public.