Deliver SIR notices by August 31: Jt. Collector

As of Sunday evening, August 9, 2026, Telangana has successfully digitised 78.14% of the 3.38 crore enumeration forms required for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. This progress was made just one day before the August 10 deadline for the house-to-house enumeration phase. According to the State’s Chief Electoral Officer, 26,430,494 forms had been digitised by 6:00 p.m. on Sunday. The enumeration process, which began on June 25, 2026, was extended twice before reaching its conclusion on August 10. The SIR initiative aims to update the electoral rolls by verifying the current status of each voter. Each of the 3,38,26,448 electors in the state received an enumeration form. These forms serve as the primary tool for identifying voters who may need to be added, removed, or updated in the electoral records. The process involves extensive fieldwork by Booth Level Officers (BLOs), who visit households to collect necessary information and verify voter details. Following the completion of the enumeration phase, the draft electoral rolls are set to be published on August 17. From that date until September 16, individuals will have the opportunity to file claims and objections regarding the draft rolls. The notice phase and resolution of these claims and objections will run from August 17 to October 15. Finally, the final electoral roll is expected to be published on October 19. This timeline reflects the revised schedule for the SIR-2026 in Telangana. In-charge Collector G. Vidyadhari emphasized the importance of delivering SIR notices by August 31. As of her latest update, 222,243 notices had been generated out of a total of 229,931 needed in her district, with 11,012 already delivered. Vidyadhari urged officials to complete the task by the end of the month and to prioritize direct delivery methods whenever feasible. During a review meeting with District Collectors via video conference, Chief Electoral Officer Vivek Yadav highlighted the need for efficient handling of Forms 6, 7, and 8, which are crucial for processing claims and objections. Officials were directed to establish daily targets for resolving pending forms to prevent delays. Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy expressed concerns over the potential impact of the SIR process, noting that approximately 21% of Telangana’s voters, nearly 73 lakh, could be deleted from the electoral rolls. He attributed this situation to the failure of Congress leaders at various levels to fulfill their duties effectively. During a video conference with ruling Congress leaders, Reddy instructed in-charge ministers to conduct detailed reviews of the SIR process within their districts and to prepare comprehensive reports for each constituency. He also mandated that constituency in-charge leaders remain in their respective areas for four days to identify and resolve issues related to the revision process. Reddy warned that the party would not tolerate any lapses in implementing the directives from the All India Congress Committee (AICC). He accused the BRS and BJP of conspiring to remove voters from the rolls, urging Congress leaders to expose such efforts. According to the Chief Electoral Officer, C Sudharshan Reddy, 78.30% of the enumeration forms had been digitised, leaving 21.70%, or 73,39,234 forms, classified as “uncollectable.” These uncollected forms indicate voters who could potentially be excluded from the final electoral roll. Meanwhile, similar challenges are being faced in other states. In Maharashtra, 18.46% of the 97.8 million registered electors, approximately 18 million, are expected to be deleted from the electoral rolls due to the SIR process. Many of these voters are either deceased, duplicates, or unable to be traced at their listed addresses. Areas such as Mankhurd, Colaba, and Mumbadevi in Mumbai show particularly high rates of deletion, with some regions nearing 40%. The Election Commission has set August 17 as the deadline for completing the SIR exercise in Maharashtra.