Bengaluru: About seven lakh voters across the state have applied for inclusion in the electoral rolls under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) through Form 6, but verification of their applications is yet to gather pace.Booth-level officers (BLOs), already occupied with issuing notices and conducting door-to-door document verification, are also expected to visit new voters who have applied through Forms 6 and 6A.An official from the office of chief electoral officer said house-to-house verification has begun. “Applicants will get a call from the BLO, who will visit and verify the documents they uploaded. NRI voters registered under Form 6A will also be verified at the address they provide. Domestic voters must be physically present, but NRI voters can be represented by a family member. A video call is not an option,” the official said.BLOs, however, report technical glitches and little clarity on the checklist, much as during the enumeration phase. A BLO from BBMP North, whose booth has completed 93% of hearings, said verification access began with an app update two weeks ago. “Access has been provided, but newer phones have compatibility issues with the app. The error reads screen mismanagement. Android users are worst hit, with the app getting stuck when the date of birth is entered. We have flagged this,” he said.An AERO and a BLO from BBMP Central said they have not been told which documents to verify or how.Progress varies, and voters link it to the clearing of notices and hearings. Vidya Goggi, a Hennur resident, said Form 6 applications at her booth, some fresh and some from the ASDDO list, have been processed. “Field verification has begun along with the hearings,” she said.Shyam Padhi, a Whitefield resident helping voters with SIR, said BLOs are working to an Oct 12 deadline to clear notices and finish hearings. The SIR database will open to them after that, allowing them to clear Form 6 applications. A voter who spoke to her ERO said applications average 4,000 to 5,000 in most constituencies, and work on them will begin in the second week of Oct.Many voters find the forms too complex. A CV Raman Nagar voter spent over an hour on Form 6 online, only to get an error saying her name did not match her Aadhaar. “I only hope they do not link it to house ownership and govt facilities,” she said.BLA 2 Vinu Jade said many ASDDO list residents in his booth are holding back. “With progeny and self mapping proving tough, they are staying quiet till SIR is done and will then use normal Form 6 for inclusion,” he said.GFX7 lakh: Voters who applied through Form 64,000 to 5,000: Average applications reported in most constituencies93%: Hearings completed at the cited BBMP North boothOct 12: Deadline cited by BLOs for clearing notices and hearingsOct 27: Scheduled publication of final SIR electoral roll
