'Won't be able to avail govt schemes if...': DK Shivakumar's ultimatum ahead of SIR in Karnataka

Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar on Monday requested all eligible voters in the southern state to participate in the special intensive revision (SIR) exercise starting June 30. He warned that people could lose their voting rights if they failed to submit the enumeration form within the stipulated period. 

Shivakumar added that an extensive support system, including facilitation centres, helplines and online services, is in place to help voters during the month-long SIR. 

"Right to vote is the right to live. Therefore, everyone must preserve their vote. If you do not, you will lose your right to vote. You may also lose access to several benefits provided by the government," he said.

The chief minister said the SIR exercise would run from June 30 to July 29, during which Booth Level Officers (BLOs) would visit households and distribute pre-filled enumeration forms based on the existing electoral roll. He urged every voter to submit the completed form with a recent photograph by July 29.

"Every individual must submit a separate form. If someone is not present at home, another member of the household may sign the form on their behalf and return it to the BLO," he said.

Stressing that the process was mandatory for everyone, Shivakumar said: "Even I, D K Shivakumar, despite being the Chief Minister of Karnataka, must compulsorily fill and submit the enumeration form. Only then will my vote remain valid. Otherwise, even my vote will not remain on the electoral roll."

He said the draft electoral roll would be published on August 5 and warned that those who failed to submit the forms risked exclusion. "If your name is missing from the draft roll, several complications will arise afterwards," he said.

Shivakumar said recognised political parties had deployed Booth Level Agents (BLAs) to assist voters, while the government had set up over 49,000 help desks, including Voter and BLO Facilitation Centres, and enabled both online and offline submissions. Awareness campaigns would also be carried out through television, newspapers and other media.

To ease documentation, the government has authorised revenue authorities to issue Permanent Residential Certificates and made over 5.5 crore caste certificates and other records available digitally using Aadhaar or other identification details.

Eligible documents include birth certificates, SSLC marks cards, passports, government employee IDs, caste certificates, land and house allotment records, pension documents, family registers and Permanent Residential Certificates. Citizens who have turned 18 can enrol as new voters using Form-6.

On concerns that beneficiaries could lose welfare schemes for not completing the process, Shivakumar said the government was only collecting and verifying information. "However, we are not going to stop any benefits immediately. We only need to collect and verify the required information," he said.

He, however, cautioned that losing voting rights could create problems in accessing welfare schemes in the future. "Whether it is an old-age pension, widow pension, Gruha Jyoti, Gruha Lakshmi, Anna Bhagya, housing benefits, site allotments or any other government scheme, the foundation for receiving these benefits is that you must retain your right to vote," he said.

Responding to protests against the SIR exercise, Shivakumar said it was the government's duty to spread awareness. "My duty is to create awareness. The courts have already upheld this system under the constitutional framework and directed that the SIR exercise be carried out. Therefore, the government's responsibility is to create awareness among the people," he said.