Karnataka SIR Crosses 86% Form Distribution Mark, 35 BLOs Receive EC Notices
Electoral roll revision advances across Karnataka, but Bengaluru lags behind as officials face complaints over verification procedures and workload concerns.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka has crossed the 86 percent mark in enumeration form distribution, even as 35 Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have received show cause notices for allegedly violating Election Commission of India guidelines.
Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer V Anbukkumar said the notices were issued after complaints that some BLOs had distributed enumeration forms in groups instead of conducting the mandatory door to door verification process. He said no fresh complaints of this nature had been reported after July 1.
According to the Chief Electoral Officer’s status report released on July 9, enumeration forms have reached 4,78,47,260 voters, covering 86.32 percent of Karnataka’s total 5,54,32,314 registered electors.
The house to house verification and digitisation process, which began on June 30, will continue until July 29.
So far, 74,80,396 forms, or 13.49 percent of the total, have been digitised. Officials said 26,668 polling stations have completed full distribution of forms, while 14,013 polling stations have crossed 90 percent coverage. Digitisation, however, remains at an early stage, with only six polling stations completing the process and 150 stations crossing the 90 percent mark.
The CEO’s office said 1,86,321 voters have submitted their enumeration forms online, accounting for 0.34 percent of the electorate.
The revision data also shows that 2,20,549 voters have been placed under the category of Absent, Shifted, Dead, Duplicate or Others. This includes 1,13,697 voters who have permanently moved, 85,088 reported deceased, 14,370 already registered elsewhere, 6,544 who could not be traced or were absent, and 850 listed under other categories.
However, progress in Bengaluru remains considerably slower compared to the statewide figures.
Data released by the Greater Bengaluru Authority shows that by 6 pm on July 9, only 57,29,823 enumeration forms had been distributed in the city, covering 55.16 percent of voters. Distribution stood at 57.57 percent in Bengaluru Central, 58.69 percent in Bengaluru North, and 52.25 percent in Bengaluru South.
Senior journalist and activist Shivsundar questioned whether the overall state figures reflected the challenges faced in urban areas. He said many Bengaluru households remain locked during working hours, making door to door verification difficult, and argued that statewide averages may not capture such local challenges.
He also raised concerns about the one month deadline, saying BLOs are under pressure to repeatedly visit homes, verify records, collect forms, and complete digitisation within a limited period.
Three Government Employees Die During SIR Duty
Concerns over workload have increased following the deaths of three government employees reportedly engaged in SIR related duties in Karnataka.
In Bengaluru South, BLO Nataraj died of a heart attack on July 6. His family alleged that he had been working late hours to complete revision related tasks before his death.
In Bidar district’s Amalapur village, 45 year old BLO Sunil died after suffering chest pain while carrying out survey work on July 5. Officials said he was taken to hospital but could not be saved. A case has been registered at Gandhiganj police station.
Earlier, 26 year old Village Administrative Officer Bhavana died in a road accident on July 4 in Tumakuru’s Gooluru panchayat while travelling for SIR duties. Revenue department employees alleged that work pressure contributed to the circumstances leading to the accident.
Employee unions have raised concerns about workload, strict targets, and pressure faced by staff involved in the revision exercise. Following Bhavana’s death, revenue employees staged a protest outside the Tumakuru Deputy Commissioner’s office, demanding workload reduction, improved safety measures, and an inquiry into officials’ actions.
Election authorities have not issued a detailed response to these allegations.
CEO Assures Action on Voter Concerns
Addressing concerns raised by political parties and voters, Anbukkumar said district election officials, Electoral Registration Officers, and local administrations have been instructed to review complaints and resolve them quickly.
He said the revision process was progressing according to schedule and expressed confidence that it would be completed before the July 29 deadline.
On concerns regarding voters unable to locate their 2002 electoral records, the CEO clarified that they could leave the relevant section blank and seek help from BLOs, voter facilitation centres, or the online portal.
He also said forms could be submitted in any language and that corrections to uploaded information would remain possible through BLOs until July 29.
The CEO further explained the role of Booth Level Agents, stating that they can collect forms on behalf of BLOs but may submit only up to 50 forms before the publication of draft electoral rolls on August 5. After that, the limit will be reduced to 10 forms, with agents required to submit an undertaking while handing over forms.