The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the Electoral Rolls is currently underway across Kodagu district in accordance with the directions of the Election Commission of India. As part of the exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) attached to all 552 polling stations under the district’s two Assembly constituencies have undertaken house-to-house visits to distribute Enumeration Forms to voters. The distribution has achieved 99 percent coverage, Deputy Commissioner (DC)Â S.J. Somashekar said.
The DC stated that the completed Enumeration Forms submitted by voters are being collected and digitised through the BLO App. House-to-house visits will continue until July 29, alongside the digitisation process.
He further informed that 952 voters have submitted their Enumeration Forms online. The district has also identified 70 absentee voters, 2,228 shifted voters, 1,629 deceased voters, 274 duplicate entries, and 14 others, accounting for a total of 4,215 cases requiring necessary action.
Kodagu district has 4,68,657 registered voters across its two Assembly constituencies. Accordingly, 4,68,657 Enumeration Forms have been printed, of which 4,63,301 forms have already been distributed. So far, 1,21,226 completed forms have been collected and digitised. Overall, the district has achieved 98.86 percent progress in the distribution of Enumeration Forms, the Deputy Commissioner added.
Speaking at a review meeting on the Special Intensive Revision of the Electoral Rolls held at the Deputy Commissioner’s Office in Madikeri, S.J. Somashekar issued several directions to the nodal officers overseeing the revision process.
He instructed Booth Level Officers to strictly adhere to the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India while conducting house-to-house visits and distributing Enumeration Forms.
The DC emphasised the need to verify whether the stickers issued by the office of the Chief Electoral Officer had been affixed and to ensure that locked houses were visited at least three times before being categorised accordingly.
He further directed officials to verify that completed Enumeration Forms were properly collected from voters and accurately digitised using the BLO App. The digitisation process, he said, must be completed within the stipulated timeframe prescribed by the Election Commission, under the close supervision of the nodal officers. He also suggested organising special camps at BLO Centres and Voter Facilitation Centres to expedite the process. The BLOs were instructed to verify cases involving shifted voters, deceased voters, and any other relevant changes in voter status. The DC also directed that meetings with Booth Level Agents (BLAs) should be conducted regularly. He further recommended organising special camps to facilitate the digitisation process.
Any complaints received during the revision exercise should be examined in accordance with the prescribed rules, and appropriate action should be taken. He also instructed officials to verify the submission of Enumeration Forms and supporting documents to the offices of the respective Electoral Registration Officers. Nodal officers were directed to ensure that Booth Level Officers perform their duties strictly in accordance with the instructions issued by the Election Commission.
He reiterated that the nodal officers should continuously monitor the functioning of BLOs at the Assembly constituency level to ensure full compliance with the Election Commission of India’s guidelines.The DC also stressed the importance of holding meetings with representatives of political parties to brief them on the Special Intensive Revision of the Electoral Rolls. He suggested organising special camps in villages, particularly in coordination with political parties, to facilitate the filling and digitisation of Enumeration Forms. Pending Enumeration Forms should be distributed and marked in accordance with the Election Commission’s directions. He also emphasised the need to maintain all relevant records meticulously to avoid any procedural lapses.
DC S.J. Somashekar directed all officials to carry out the Special Intensive Revision of the Electoral Rolls with complete commitment and ensure that every stage of the election-related work is completed strictly according to the schedule prescribed by the Election Commission of India, leaving no scope for issues at the constituency level.
Additional Deputy Commissioner Sahana S. Hadimani also issued several directions regarding the revision process. Various departmental officers and nodal officers were present at the meeting.
