Hyderabad: Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the voters’ list is all set to begin in the next few weeks in Telangana, and in view of it, booth-level officers (BLOs) in Hyderabad and other districts have already begun the process of linking names with the 2002 electoral roll, a step commonly referred to as progeny mapping.
Under the pre-SIR exercise, voters are being either linked or mapped based on the 2002 list. Linking is done if a voter’s name appears in the 2002 list, whereas mapping is done if a relative’s name is in the list.
Check name in current list
In order to be ready for the SIR in Hyderabad and other districts in Telangana, voters first need to check their names in the current electoral roll.
To check the name in the current electoral roll, visit the official website of the Election Commission of India (click here).
After checking the name on the list, ensure that the address is correct, as BLOs will visit the mentioned house number.
In case of an incorrect address, apply using Form 8. Those whose names are missing or who have just turned 18 years must fill Form 6. Both forms can be filled online or by visiting MeeSeva centers.
Keep details ready before BLOs visit for SIR in Hyderabad
After ensuring the correct address on the voter ID card and in the electoral roll, check for details in the 2002 list by visiting the CEO Telangana website (click here).
If a voter’s name appears in the 2002 list, the linking is straightforward. Those whose names do not feature will be mapped with relatives whose entries exist in the older roll.
According to Election Commission guidelines, for mapping, the following are considered relatives:
- Father
- Mother
- Maternal grandfather
- Maternal grandmother
- Paternal grandfather
- Paternal grandmother
Recently speaking with Siasat.com, the supervisor, Muneer from the Bahadurpura Assembly, said that BLOs have started the linking and mapping process. If a voter’s name appears in the 2002 list, the linking is straightforward. Those whose names do not feature are being asked to connect themselves through relatives whose entries exist in the older roll, he added.
On the question of who is being considered as relatives for the sake of SIR, he confirmed that six relations, viz., father, mother, maternal grandfather, maternal grandmother, paternal grandfather, and paternal grandmother, are valid.
This interpretation has also been reiterated by election officials in other states, including Uttar Pradesh, where authorities clarified that grandparents on both the maternal and paternal side are valid for linking.
Notices during SIR
If a voter is successfully linked through the mapping process, no documents will be needed at this stage. Those who remain unlinked will be issued notices later in the SIR process and asked to submit proof from a prescribed list.
These include government identity cards or pension orders, certificates issued before July 1, 1987, by public authorities or banks, birth certificates, passports, educational certificates, permanent residence certificates, forest rights documents, caste certificates, family registers, NRC records where applicable, or government land or housing allotment papers.
For Aadhaar, separate Election Commission directions will apply.
The documentation required will also depend on a voter’s date of birth.
Those born before July 1, 1987, must submit proof for themselves. Those born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must provide a document for themselves and one parent.
Voters born after December 2, 2004, will have to submit proof for themselves as well as for both parents.
For the success of the SIR, both BLOs and voters need to be clear about the rules pertaining to who is considered relatives, which form is to be filled, and how to search in the 2002 list.
Moreover, BLOs need to be technically strong to handle the app, especially during the mammoth SIR exercise.
