Hyderabad: The increasing number of duplicate applications for voter ID is becoming a major problem for returning officers of different Assembly constituencies in Hyderabad. Even during the special campaign held on March 9, the officers on election duty received 20,000 duplicate enrolments where most of the applicants failed to mention their earlier enrolments as a voter, thus increasing the job of the officers.
“During enrolment for voter ID card if the applicant is not a first-time voter and has already enrolled earlier in a different constituency, it is mandatory for the applicant to mention details of the previous enrolment. The fresh application is likely to be cancelled if the person fails to mention their previous enrolment. Though the checking of duplicate forms is done online with the help of central data, it is turning out to be a major problem as the officers are working against time to meet the deadline,” said Rahul Bojja, special commissioner, GHMC.
Adding that those whose names have got deleted for reasons unknown can apply at their respective polling stations as this is a continuous updating programme.
As many as 35,98,152 voters have been enrolled as on January 31, 2014, in the 15 Assembly constituencies in Hyderabad district. Elaborate arrangements are being made at 3,091 polling stations which include forming special teams for video surveillance, flying squads etc.
The chief electoral officer Bhanwar Lal on Monday clarified that the SMS search facility to know the status of voter ID card (EPIC) has been functioning properly now.
He said, the system failed to function temporarily for a few hours on Sunday due to technical glitch, which has been rectified immediately.
The chief electoral officer said the technical glitch had occurred in the process of online linkage of huge voter data with the service provider.
Voters can now know the status of their EPIC card by typing VOTE <EPIC No> and send the SMS to 9246280027. They will get return SMS with details of their name, house address, Assembly constituency name and number, polling booth.
