BLOs Revisit Homes As SIR Response Stays Low in Warangal

 Warangal: The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls is progressing slowly across the erstwhile Warangal district, with officials reporting low collection of voter verification forms despite near-complete distribution.

The exercise is under way in Warangal, Hanamkonda, Mahbubabad, Jangaon and Mulugu districts. Booth level officers (BLOs) and booth level agents (BLAs) have covered most households to distribute forms, but response in returning completed documents has remained below expectations.

According to official sources, around 10 per cent of forms have been collected in urban areas, about 20 per cent in semi-urban regions and nearly 30 per cent in rural areas, raising concerns over meeting the deadline.

Officials attributed the slow pace to voters being away for work, delays in arranging supporting documents and postponement of submissions. BLOs have had to revisit several households as residents were either unavailable or had not completed the forms. The monsoon and limited field staff have added to the constraints.

Amid the slow progress, political parties have increased their involvement. The Congress and BRS have set up help desks in towns and mandal headquarters to assist voters in filling forms and verifying documents, and have urged eligible voters to complete the process.

District collectors are reviewing progress on a daily basis and have directed officials to step up collection. Authorities are also considering special drives to reach those yet to submit forms.

With 15 days remaining for the scheduled conclusion, officials are focusing on completing the exercise within the timeframe, even as there is uncertainty over whether the deadline will be extended if the response does not improve.