Garhwa: The district administration has issued notices to 38 members of an Iranian-origin family living in Sonpurwa locality, opposite Garhwa railway station, after their names surfaced during verification under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The family resides in wards 1 and 3 under Garhwa Nagar Parishad. Officials have begun examining how their names were included in the draft voter list and whether they meet the eligibility requirements.The administration is also scrutinising the benefits extended to the family under the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana (Urban). Two houses were sanctioned for its members and constructed on their 15-decimal plot. The family has a permanent land deed, and the property has been mutated.Family members possess voter ID, Aadhaar and PAN cards, besides ration cards, caste, income and residential certificates. The two houses have electricity connections.Gulshan Bibi, 90, said her father-in-law, Baba Khan, and his wife, Resham Khatoon, came to Garhwa in 1921. Other relatives joined them later, and the family has since grown to 38 members. “They initially lived in makeshift huts and worked as daily wagers,” she said.Hadim Ali, another family member, said the family was currently availing the benefits of two houses under the urban housing scheme.Imran Khan and his wife, Kashmiri, said the names of 21 family members appeared in the 2008 electoral roll. “However, the family has no documents to establish citizenship. Notices have been issued in connection with the inclusion of their names in the electoral roll during the SIR,” they said.Garhwa BDO and additional assistant electoral registration officer for Garhwa assembly constituency, Kumar Mayank Bhushan, said the process of inviting and deciding claims and objections was under way.Garhwa deputy commissioner and district election officer Pashupati Nath Mishra said no report of any elector of foreign origin, or objection regarding such an elector, had been received so far.“Documents of all electors are being examined thoroughly. If any such matter comes to my notice, it will be dealt with according to the rules,” Mishra said.
