The Karnataka Chief Minister, DK Shivakumar, announced on Thursday that the state Assembly session has been deferred until August due to the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) drive across the state. He added that the government will finalise the exact dates only after the exercise is complete.
Addressing a press conference, the Chief Minister stated that the reason behind the postponement of the session, which was set to take place in July, was that many officials, MLAs, and political parties are actively participating in the SIR process. The government was planning to organise the session in the second or third week of July by giving fortnight’s notice period; however, as there was an updating of electoral rolls, it was considered better to hold the SIR process first.
The notification process for the SIR is set to continue until August 5. Until that time, elected representatives and officials will be fully occupied with making sure eligible voters are not left off the electoral rolls. Political leaders from all parties are also deeply involved in the exercise, and the government is keen not to disrupt their work. The Chief Minister confirmed that once the draft rolls are published on August 5, he will schedule the Assembly session for either the first or second week of the month, breaking from the usual tradition of holding it in July.
Shivakumar also issued a firm warning regarding the mandatory submission of Enumeration Forms, stressing that failure to comply could lead to names being struck off the electoral rolls. He cautioned that no one should assume their name is safe simply because they have been registered to vote for several decades. Everyone must sign and submit the form by July 29. For individuals who are away from home because of work commitments, the head of the family is permitted to submit the form on their behalf.
Clarifying the procedure, the Chief Minister stated that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are strictly responsible for delivering the forms door-to-door. Neither MLAs nor political party workers are authorised to handle the distribution. BLOs are required to visit every household and must make up to three attempts if a voter is initially unavailable. While political parties can assist through their Booth Level Agents, the actual distribution remains the sole responsibility of the BLOs.
In addition to the electoral updates, Shivakumar announced the creation of a brand-new government department dedicated entirely to addressing public grievances. To be named the Department of Public Service, or the Praja Seva Department, its oversight will be officially entrusted to a state minister.
Also read: DK Shivakumar warns voters as SIR begins in Karnataka
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