About 50% of Special Intensive Revision (SIR) hearings in parts of Hyderabad are being rescheduled because voters are unable to produce required documents, including records relating to their parents, electoral officials said. Voters have been told they can submit the documents by November 5 for their names to be considered for inclusion in the final electoral roll.
Nalla Venkata Reddy, Electoral Registration Officer for the Medchal constituency, said officials were postponing or rescheduling hearings to give citizens additional time to obtain the papers. The rescheduling may last a few days or longer, depending on the voter’s request and the documents required, he said.
“There is no reason to panic as voters can submit documents until Nov 5. We are postponing or rescheduling about 50% of hearings — this can be either for a few days or for longer when a voter asks for time to submit the required documents,” Reddy said.
Officials are advising voters, particularly those who are uneducated, to apply for and obtain documents such as caste certificates or passports and submit them within the permitted period. The document requirements vary according to the voter’s date of birth under Election Commission of India norms.
Voters born before July 1, 1987, are required to submit only their own documents. Those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must submit a document belonging to one parent along with their own documents. Voters born after December 2, 2004, are required to provide documents relating to both parents as well as their own documents.
V Surender, Electoral Registration Officer for Chandrayangutta, said several voters were seeking additional time during the hearings. In cases where parents have died and their documents cannot be found, officials are asking voters to return after three or four days, he said. The handling of each case depends on the documents available and the circumstances of the voter, Surender added.
The process is creating difficulties for residents who do not have conventional educational or identity records. Sohail Khan, a resident of Serilingampally constituency, said his wife was uneducated and did not have a passport, leaving the family uncertain about which documents could be submitted to support her case.
The issue has also prompted civil society organisations and social activists in Telangana to call for greater transparency in the verification process. They said voters should be able to access the full status of their cases, including the documents they had submitted, documents uploaded by the Booth Level Officer and details of the hearing.
The immediate administrative deadline is November 5, by which voters can submit the required papers for consideration in the final electoral roll. Officials are continuing to reschedule hearings where voters need more time to obtain or locate the documents.
