No need to fear SIR process; it is meant to retain eligible voters, says Dakshina Kannada DC

No need to fear SIR process; it is meant to retain eligible voters, says Dakshina Kannada DC

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, Jul 15, 2026: Dakshina Kannada Deputy Commissioner Darshan H.V. on Wednesday clarified that there is no need for fear or anxiety over the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls, stressing that the exercise is not intended to delete names from the voters’ list but to identify and retain eligible voters.

He was addressing college students after inaugurating a special voter awareness campaign organised by the District Administration, Zilla Panchayat and the SVEEP Committee at the Nethravathi Hall of the Dakshina Kannada Zilla Panchayat.

The Deputy Commissioner said the SIR process is being conducted after nearly 24 years, with the last such exercise having taken place in 2002. He noted that every citizen who has attained the age of 18 has a constitutional right to vote and that the revision exercise is aimed at ensuring all eligible voters are included in the electoral rolls.

Emphasising the importance of voting, Darshan said citizens should exercise their franchise without fail after becoming eligible voters. "One cannot effectively question the democratic process without participating in it. To vote, one’s name must be included in the electoral roll. At times, even a single vote can determine the fate of a candidate, which in turn can influence your future," he told the students.

Zilla Panchayat Chief Executive Officer Vinayak Karbari, who attended the programme as the chief guest, said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) have already begun distributing enumeration forms to voters as part of the SIR process.

Describing it as a simple exercise, he urged citizens to fill in the forms and submit them to the BLOs at the earliest. He said trained volunteers are educating students on the process and appealed to them to ensure that their family members and neighbours also complete and submit the forms.

Probationary IAS officer Archit Dongre was also present at the event.

District Planning Coordination Officer Dr Sumangala S. Nayak welcomed the gathering, while Gayathri compered the programme.

Darshan also explained that it takes BLOs between two and five minutes to upload accurate information through the application. However, if the submitted details require verification from other sources, the process may take between 30 minutes and an hour. The uploaded data is also reviewed by BLO supervisors to ensure accuracy.

He appealed to the public to submit their completed forms as early as possible to facilitate timely verification and data entry. He added that voters residing abroad can also submit their details online under the SIR process. So far, around 1,700 voters from Dakshina Kannada district have completed their applications through the online portal.