Rayalaseema Districts Lag in SIR Process; BLOs Under Pressure

Kurnool: The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process in Rayalaseema districts is progressing at a sluggish pace with Kurnool, Kadapa, Nandyal and Anantapur districts trailing behind the rest of the state.

Key activities such as enumeration form distribution and digitisation are significantly delayed.

With the deadline set for July 14, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are under mounting pressure to complete the process. By now, only 50.29 per cent of the work had been completed in Kurnool district.

Across the state, the lowest progress was recorded in Alluri Sitarama Raju district at just 43.65 per cent. Surprisingly, NTR district located close to Amaravati also reported poor progress with only 50.09 per cent digitisation completed. YSR Kadapa district recorded an even lower figure of 49.19 per cent.

BLOs in Kurnool and Kadapa districts voiced serious concerns over the workload. “We are given a target of verifying 100 forms per day, but in reality, even completing 20 forms is becoming difficult,” said a BLO from Kurnool district. “Voter addresses are often unclear, and in many cases, people are simply not available at the listed locations,” the official added.

Another BLO from Kadapa echoed similar concerns. “The pressure is high, and the time is too short. We are struggling to meet expectations under these conditions.”

Complications have also arisen due to the use of the 2002 electoral rolls for mapping. In several cases, voters are missing from the 2002 list, though their parents or grandparents may have been registered. BLOs are relying on these records for mapping, but this has led to complaints from voters.

“I registered as a voter after 2002, but now my details are not being properly considered,” said a resident from Kadapa district. “They are only checking older records, which is creating confusion.”

A BLO from Kamalapuram constituency described the situation as challenging. “Working based on the 2002 electoral rolls is extremely difficult. Many records are outdated, and verifying them on the ground is taking a lot of time.”

Meanwhile, Krishna district has recorded the highest progress in the state, with 69.26 per cent of digitization completed. The state average stood at 54.96 per cent.

At the constituency level, Kadapa assembly segment reported only 33.24 per cent completion. Vijayawada West, Anantapur Urban and Guntur West constituencies have all recorded less than 40 per cent progress. As many as 18 constituencies remain below the 50 per cent mark.

Acknowledging the delays, a revenue official from Kurnool said, “In several areas, voters have migrated or shifted residences. This is one of the main reasons for the slow progress.” However, the official expressed optimism, adding, “We are making all efforts to speed up the process and complete it within the stipulated deadline.”