SIR drive gains momentum in Palamu

PNS

Daltonganj

The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Palamu is gathering momentum, but progress remains slow due to documentation challenges and a lukewarm public response.

District Election Officer Dilip Pratap Singh Shekhawat has stepped up monitoring of the exercise and is reportedly taking a strict view of officials and field personnel found lagging in implementing the drive.

Unlike the overwhelming response witnessed during the launch of the Maiyya Samman Yojana, when large numbers of women queued up with documents to enrol, the SIR exercise has failed to generate similar enthusiasm among voters.

The documentation required under the SIR varies according to the applicant’s date of birth. Those born before July 1, 1987, need to provide proof of their own date or place of birth. Voters born between July 1, 1987, and December 2, 2004, must also furnish proof relating to either parent, while those born after December 2, 2004, are required to submit birth-related documents for themselves as well as both parents.

Officials said the biggest hurdle is the lack of birth records for older residents. In the erstwhile undivided Palamu district, which included present-day Garhwa and Latehar, birth registration was uncommon. The 1981 Census recorded literacy at just over 23 per cent, with female literacy particularly low, resulting in limited awareness about official registration.

Labour-class families have been hit the hardest, as many lack alternative documents. Confusion over the enumeration form has further slowed the exercise, prompting the administration to intensify awareness and monitoring efforts.