Daijiworld Media Network - Bengaluru
Bengaluru, June 30: Karnataka will issue permanent residential (PR) certificates to citizens to facilitate their participation in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, Chief Minister D K Shivakumar announced.
"Whoever wants a residential certificate will get it both online and offline," Shivakumar told reporters.
Following the announcement, the revenue department issued comprehensive guidelines governing the issuance of permanent residential certificates.
"The permanent residential certificate shall constitute proof of permanent residence in the state of Karnataka," the department stated in the new guidelines.
Citizens will be able to apply for the certificates online through the Seva Sindhu portal. Applications will also be accepted at the existing citizen service centres, including Atal Jana Snehi Kendras or Nadakacheris, Bengaluru One, Karnataka One and Grama One.
The government is also establishing facilitation centres across every ward and polling booth to assist applicants.
"There will be 49,320 centres. These centres will help citizens," Shivakumar said.
The chief minister further said that citizens who have already obtained caste certificates can download and use them during the SIR process.
"About 5.5 crore citizens have been given valid caste certificates. This includes 2.54 crore OBCs and 2.94 crore SC/STs. All of them can download their certificates digitally. Booth-level agents (BLA) can also help people obtain these certificates," Shivakumar said.
Emphasising the importance of the electoral roll revision, Shivakumar urged citizens to compulsorily fill in the enumeration forms that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will distribute.
"Starting June 30 till July 29, BLOs will come home and give you a form. BLOs will come to your house three times. On August 5, the draft electoral rolls will be out. If you don't submit your form, you're going to lose your vote. There'll be complications," he said.
Warning people against jeopardising their voting rights, Shivakumar said, "The right to vote is the right to live."
Referring to developments in other states, he added, "In West Bengal, an order has been issued to verify and delete all ineligible ration beneficiaries based on SIR. Similar measures are being taken by other states. If you lose the right to vote, you'll lose government benefits," he added.