SIR: Expats Struggle With Online Enumeration Forms

 Hyderabad: Expatriates from the state working in the Gulf are struggling to complete online enumeration forms, with many complaining that valid documents, especially visas, are being rejected on the portal. NRI groups are now seeking guidance from experts in India. The Telangana International Association, an umbrella body of several organisations, will hold a meeting for Telanganites in Saudi Arabia on July 4.

For overseas citizens, Form 6A has to be filled up online. Instead of Aadhaar details, applicants have to upload copies of their passport, visa, residence proof in India and details of their workplace in the country where they live.

“If you are lucky enough to open the website, filling in the form successfully remains a big challenge. For Form-6A (registration of overseas electors), they need to fill in the form online, and supporting documents include a passport and visa. Even if a passport is accepted, the visa copy is not getting accepted online. This is the most common complaint from expats,” said advocate Mohammed Waseem, who was invited to Jeddah (KSA) by Telangana International Association, along with others.

However, given the time constraints and busy schedules, the meeting will be held virtually.

Former Press Council of India member and senior journalist M.A. Majid, who will also be part of the panel, said apprehensions among NRIs had increased after the external affairs ministry declared the passport a “travel document”.

“About 3 crore Indians are living abroad. Amongst them, one crore Indians are residing in the Gulf. But unlike in the United States and a few other countries, expatriates in the Gulf do not have voting rights,” explained Majid.

He further explained, “There are instances in West Bengal where the passport was not renewed, citing rejection in the SIR process. These kinds of examples have only added to the apprehensions. Those who are working in remote locations in the Gulf, away from major urban centres, will be at the receiving end, as most of them are uneducated and don’t even have basic knowledge about the ongoing process.”

Waseem said his team, led by Youth Welfare Telangana president Syed Jalaluddin Zafar, was trying to help NRIs complete the process. “We are asking the NRIs to rather go offline and ask their close relatives back in India to fill physical forms and hand over the BLO. If none from the family are available in India, then they may seek the help of community elders and pursue the matter,” explained Waseem.