Preparatory work for SIR begins in Telangana

Hyderabad, Feb 5 : Preparatory work for Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Telangana has commenced, the state Chief Electoral Officer said on Thursday.

Ahead of the SIT, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) urged political parties to appoint at least one Booth Level Agent (BLA) for every polling station.

Addressing a meeting with representatives of recognised political parties, CEO C. Sudharsan Reddy stressed that strong booth-level coordination would be central to the exercise.

The CEO said BLAs should preferably be drawn from the local area of the polling station and work in close coordination with Booth Level Officers (BLOs).

He said each polling booth must have at least one appointed BLA to help ensure accuracy, transparency and timely resolution of issues during the revision of electoral rolls.

The CEO informed the parties that the SIR is currently underway in 12 states and that the schedule for the remaining states, including Telangana, is expected to be announced during April-May 2026.

Given the limited time available for the revision once notified, he said preparatory work had already commenced in the state.

As part of this preparatory exercise, a table-top mapping has been carried out to link electors listed in the 2025 electoral rolls with those covered during the 2002 SIR.

This is being followed by field-level mapping, with Booth Level Officers undertaking house-to-house visits to identify and verify residences, particularly in urban areas.

During the SIR, BLOs are expected to make three to four visits to each polling area. Enumeration forms will be distributed during the first visit, while subsequent visits will cover households that were not available earlier.

The CEO clarified that electors who are not mapped during the preparatory phase would still be able to furnish their details during the SIR.

Reiterating the role of political parties in the process, the CEO urged them to complete the appointment of BLAs for all polling stations at the earliest, stating that effective booth-level participation would strengthen coordination, minimise grievances and help ensure that no eligible voter is excluded from the electoral rolls.

The meeting was attended by Additional CEO Vasam Venkateshwar Reddy, Deputy CRO Hari Singh and other officials.