K’taka SIR: Shivakumar urges voters to protect their franchise

Bengaluru, June 29 (IANS) Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Monday urged every eligible voter in the state to fill and submit the Enumeration Form during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls beginning June 30, warning that failure to do so could result in the loss of voting rights. 

The Chief Minister also announced that the government would establish 49,320 assistance centres across the state to help citizens complete the enrolment process.

Addressing a press conference at the Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar appealed to voters to cooperate with the Election Commission's exercise and ensure that their names remain on the electoral rolls.

"Every voter in Karnataka must register and safeguard their right to vote. From June 30 to July 29, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) appointed by the Election Commission will visit every household and distribute the Enumeration Forms. Every voter must compulsorily fill out the form and submit it, along with the required documents and a recent photograph, within the stipulated 30-day period. This is the responsibility of every voter," he said.

He cautioned that voters who fail to submit the form could lose their voting rights.

"Deputy Tahsildars have been authorised to issue permanent residence certificates. Help centres will be set up in every gram panchayat and municipal ward. Citizens will be able to download the required documents, and those whose mobile numbers are linked to their caste certificates can access them through WhatsApp," he said.

According to Shivakumar, the government has decided to extend assistance by reaching out to over 5.50 crore people across Karnataka to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the electoral rolls.

"The draft electoral roll will be published on August 5. BLOs will visit every household three times to distribute the forms. If a voter receives the form but does not submit it, they risk losing their right to vote," he said.

The Chief Minister said Booth Level Agents (BLAs) appointed by political parties would also assist voters in completing and submitting the forms.

Shivakumar stated that the state government already has records of more than 5.50 crore caste certificates issued to citizens, including 2.54 crore certificates for Other Backward Classes (OBCs) and 2.94 crore certificates for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes.

"These certificates can be downloaded online. Voters can also use their EPIC number while submitting the Enumeration Form. The Election Commission has permitted 11 categories of documents as proof of identity, including birth certificates, passports, caste certificates, forest rights certificates, government-issued housing or site allotment records and Central government pension documents," he said.

Appealing to the public, he said, "I urge every citizen to protect their voting rights. While the Election Commission is conducting awareness campaigns, the state government has also decided to educate and assist the public."

Shivakumar further claimed that losing voting rights could affect citizens' access to certain government welfare benefits in the future.

"If people lose their voting rights, obtaining government benefits could become difficult. In West Bengal, ration benefits are reportedly being extended only to registered voters, and similar measures have been introduced in some other states. If you do not safeguard your voting rights, you may face difficulties in accessing guarantee schemes, pensions and other welfare programmes of the state government," he said.

Calling the right to vote a fundamental democratic entitlement, he remarked, "The right to vote is the right to live with dignity. Our objective is to ensure that every eligible citizen retains this right."

He added that the government would soon begin verifying beneficiaries of welfare schemes, including Gruha Jyothi and Gruha Lakshmi, but clarified that the schemes would not be discontinued immediately.

Responding to a question on residence certificates for people living in rented houses, Shivakumar said local authorities had been empowered to issue certificates if applicants produced valid documents such as Aadhaar cards or other approved identity documents linked to their constituency.

On concerns about server issues during the enrolment process, he said voters could log in using their mobile phones and download the forms themselves.

"BLOs can distribute only around 50 forms a day, which is why the Election Commission has provided a month-long window. Anyone can download and submit the form. I too will begin the process by filling the Enumeration Form from my residence on Tuesday," he said.

Asked about the Congress party's preparations, Shivakumar said the government's focus was to ensure that every eligible voter retained the right to vote, while the party had already appointed Booth Level Agents in accordance with Election Commission guidelines.

On whether the state government had confidence in the Election Commission, he said the government's responsibility was to raise awareness among people of Karnataka and ensure that no voter lost their franchise due to a lack of information.

Referring to concerns over alleged deletion of voters in other states, Shivakumar said the government was treating the issue seriously and had launched awareness campaigns, established assistance centres and initiated publicity measures to ensure that eligible voters completed the enrolment process.

Responding to a question on protests announced by farmers' organisations against the SIR exercise, he said creating public awareness was the government's duty while noting that the Election Commission was constitutionally empowered to conduct the revision.

On possible legal action against the SIR process, Shivakumar said the state Cabinet had already taken an appropriate decision and that while the government's course of action was separate, every citizen had the democratic right to protest.

When asked whether it would be possible to reach all 5.50 crore voters within a month, the Chief Minister stressed that no one should assume their vote would automatically remain on the electoral roll.

"Even I, as the Chief Minister of Karnataka, have to fill and submit the Enumeration Form. Only then will I retain my right to vote. Otherwise, I too will lose that right," he said.

Replying to questions on Cabinet expansion, Shivakumar said he would travel to New Delhi after the Cabinet meeting scheduled for July 2.

On drought management, he said each minister had been assigned responsibility for two to three districts and had already been instructed to review the situation. He added that the state had written to the Centre seeking assistance for mango growers and assured that support measures similar to last year, including continuation of the minimum support price, would be provided.

Addressing concerns over water scarcity, the Chief Minister said funds had already been released to Deputy Commissioners to manage the situation, adding that deficient rainfall had affected several parts of the country.

--IANS 

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