Udupi: A delegation led by Udupi Block Congress Committee president Ramesh Kanchan submitted a memorandum to Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T K, urging immediate measures to address difficulties faced by genuine voters in obtaining residence verification certificates during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.
The delegation said several eligible voters who have received notices as part of the SIR process are struggling to produce the documents specified in the notices. They urged the district administration to ensure that eligible citizens are able to obtain the required residence verification certificates without unnecessary delays.
Voters facing difficulties during SIR
The Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls is currently under way as per the directions of the Election Commission. Several voters have received notices over discrepancies in voter details and for other reasons identified during the revision process.
The Congress delegation said many of the voters who received notices do not possess the documents mentioned in them. As a result, they are approaching local revenue authorities to obtain residence verification certificates that are accepted by the Election Commission as part of the verification process.
According to the delegation, the situation has created difficulties for a section of genuine voters who are otherwise eligible to remain on the electoral rolls.
Rented-house residents among those affected
The Congress leaders alleged that several genuine voters are facing difficulties in obtaining the certificates, particularly those who have been living in rented houses for several years.
They also pointed to cases where voters’ present addresses differ from those mentioned in older records. Such differences can make the verification process more complicated, they said.
The delegation claimed that some voters are being required to make repeated visits to revenue offices to complete the process, resulting in inconvenience and unnecessary hardship.
The Congress leaders urged the district administration to take a practical approach while verifying the residential status of eligible voters and ensure that procedural difficulties do not prevent genuine citizens from completing the SIR process.
Appeal for prompt issue of certificates
The delegation requested Deputy Commissioner Swaroopa T K to issue appropriate directions to the concerned officials to ensure that eligible citizens applying for residence verification certificates in connection with the SIR process receive them promptly and in accordance with the applicable rules.
The leaders stressed that the verification process should not become a barrier for citizens who are otherwise eligible to exercise their franchise.
They also emphasised the importance of ensuring that the electoral roll revision process remains inclusive and transparent, particularly when voters are required to furnish additional documents to establish their residential details.
The delegation said no eligible citizen should be deprived of the constitutional right to vote because of difficulties in obtaining supporting documents.
Congress leaders attend
Congress leaders Mahabala Kundar, Krishna Hebbar, Hariprasad Rai, Ganesh Nerji, Satish Kodavoor, Sukesh Kundar, Satish Kumar Manchi, Shashiraj Kundar, Laxman Poojary, Mamatha Shetty, Asha Chandrashekar, Sandhya Tilakraj, Sadananda Kulal, Arif, Boniface, Bharat Kumar, Shakuntala, Dayananda and Sanjay Acharya were present during the submission of the memorandum.
The delegation expressed hope that the district administration would intervene promptly and issue necessary directions to the revenue authorities so that eligible voters can complete the SIR-related verification process without repeated visits or unnecessary difficulties.