Hyderabad: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voter list will be launched in Telangana in the coming days, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar announced on Sunday. Speaking at a meeting held at Ravindra Bharathi in Hyderabad, he said the exercise in Telangana would be conducted by adopting the Bihar model, where the process was recently completed.
The Chief Election Commissioner stated that the SIR is currently underway in 12 states as part of the second phase and that Telangana will be covered in the third phase of the nationwide exercise.
What Is SIR
SIR, or Special Intensive Revision, is a comprehensive voter list verification process that goes beyond routine electoral roll revisions. It aims to eliminate bogus voters, names of deceased persons, and duplicate entries where individuals are registered in more than one location. Between 1951 and 2004, the Election Commission conducted SIR exercises 13 times. After a gap of 21 years, the process was revived this year.
In the first phase, the Election Commission carried out the exercise in Bihar between June 25 and July 26, removing nearly 65 lakh voters from the rolls. Of these, about 22 lakh were identified as deceased.
Second Phase Progress
As part of the second phase, the SIR is ongoing in Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Kerala, Lakshadweep, Madhya Pradesh, Puducherry, Rajasthan, Tamil Nadu, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands. West Bengal has already released its draft voter list, while other states are preparing to publish theirs.
How the SIR Will Be Conducted
The revision process will involve door-to-door verification by Booth Level Officers, who will visit households to verify voter details. Each voter will be provided with an Enumeration Form to confirm personal information and submit a signed declaration. Aadhaar will be used as an identity proof to help identify duplicate registrations. Names of deceased voters, those who have relocated, ineligible voters, and individuals registered at multiple locations will be deleted after issuing due notices. Eligible youth who have attained the age of 18 will be given an opportunity to register as new voters during the process.
Why SIR Is Important
The Election Commission has observed that inaccuracies in voter lists are a major reason for low voter turnout in urban areas. Multiple registrations of a single individual can lead to electoral irregularities. Through SIR, duplicate and fake voter entries will be digitally eliminated. Officials indicate that a similar large-scale cleanup to that seen in Bihar is expected in Telangana.
BLO Duties
Booth Level Officers are required to visit every household, distribute Enumeration Forms, assist voters in filling them out, collect the completed forms, and issue receipts. Voters are urged to cooperate with the officials and verify that details such as name, age, and house number on their voter ID cards are accurate.