Rains, late arrival of materials delay SIR drive in parts of city

CHENNAI: As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in the state was kicked off on Tuesday by the Election Commission of India, the process faced a slight delay in commencing at the capital city due to the delayed arrival of materials and meetings with Booth Level Agents (BLAs).

At many constituencies, enumerators could only start door-to-door visits only around 4.30 pm. Rains and the late arrival of pre-printed forms to the Regional Deputy Commissioner (South) office in Ekkatuthangal delayed the process further in Saidapet.

When DT Next visited Gangai Amman Koil Street and Sornambigai First Street in Ekkatuthangal, enumerators were seen beginning the door-to-door process around 6pm. A Booth Level Officer (BLO) explained, “Each form has a barcode that we scan while issuing and again after collecting it from voters. We verify whether all family members are alive and, in case of any deaths, hold back the form.”The BLOs are expected to visit each household listed in the electoral roll three times to distribute enumeration forms.

Each voter whose name appears in the list must fill out and return the form to the BLO. The officers will assist voters in verifying their details against those recorded in the previous SIR conducted in 2002.

If a voter’s name appears in the 2002 list, the details must be noted in the new enumeration form. The forms, printed in Tamil, contain existing voter details and old photographs. Any adult member of the household may complete the form by providing updated information, such as date of birth and mobile number, and affixing a recent colour photograph.

Radha Krishnan, a resident of Sornambigai Street, said his family of four, including his wife and two daughters, faced no issues. “I’ve had my voter ID since before 2002, so filling the form was straightforward,” he said. Each BLO is expected to issue and collect at least 50 forms a day and assist voters who face difficulty completing them.

Inquiring about the awareness of the process, a senior voter, S Narasimman of Gangai Amman Koil Street, said, “I know the SIR process is mandatory. My son will help me fill out the form.” He added that two families on his street had recently relocated to Egmore but retained their voter registration at the old address. “As they don’t have proof of permanent residence in Egmore, their voter status remains uncertain,” he commented.

What happens when an elector is frequently away during enumeration?

If the voter maintains a permanent address at the same location as their spouse or parents, the forms are handed to them after obtaining confirmation. “We inquire with neighbours. If they confirm the person will return soon, we revisit. After three unsuccessful visits, the name is marked in the ‘missing’ list,” the officer said.