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This comes in the wake of Telangana Chief Minister Revanth Reddy’s letter to the commission requesting an extension.
Hyderabad, September 2 (PMI): The Election Commission of India (ECI) is likely to extend by two to three weeks the deadline for distributing pending notices under the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Telangana, according to reports.
The move follows a request from Telangana Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, who urged the commission to provide voters with additional time to respond to notices and submit the required documents.
According to Deccan Chronicle, official sources have indicated a “99% chance” of an extension. Under the existing schedule, the notice distribution process is to be completed by September 16. However, around 60 lakh notices are reportedly yet to be served out of a total of 93 lakh.
Officials are understood to be seeking an extension to ensure that all eligible voters receive the notices and get a fair opportunity to raise objections. They have expressed concern that completing the exercise in haste could result in a large number of voters being left out of the process.
Revanth Reddy seeks more time for voters
On August 29, Chief Minister Revanth Reddy wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar and Telangana Chief Electoral Officer Sudarshan Reddy, requesting that voters served with notices be given three to four weeks to respond and produce the necessary documents.
The Chief Minister also urged the ECI to extend the deadline for final publication of the electoral rolls, currently scheduled for October 19, citing the limited time available for voters to raise objections.
Reddy specifically sought a four-week extension for electors whose names are missing from the draft electoral roll, particularly those in the ASDD category, to verify their status and file Form 6 claims.
He also appealed to the ECI to conduct public readings of the draft electoral rolls, establish help desks, provide adequate time for responding to notices, and publish a clear list of documents that voters can obtain and submit for the SIR process.
The proposed extension is aimed at ensuring that eligible voters are not deprived of an opportunity to verify their electoral details and protect their right to vote. (pressmediaofindia.com)
