PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/Dehradun
As the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls gathers pace in Dehradun, some residents of slum settlements have alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are distributing notices without properly explaining the process or the documents required for verification. Residents said that the issue is affecting people living in nearly 130 slum settlements across the city, many of whom are illiterate or work as daily wage labourers, domestic workers or are housewives. They said that the lack of proper guidance has left many unsure about the purpose of the notices and the steps they need to take.
According to some slum dwellers, while BLOs are explaining the verification process in some localities, many in slum areas are only being handed notices without being explained which documents they need to submit, where they have to submit them or the deadline for completing the process.
Speaking to The Pioneer, Shaheen Akhtar, who lives in a shanty near the Rispana bridge said that BLOs were delivering the notices and leaving without offering any explanation. “When we ask them what we have to do or which documents we need to submit, they simply tell us that the notice has been issued in your name and just hand it over to us and leave. Nobody is explaining what we are actually supposed to do with the notice,” he said. Another resident Om Singh raised similar concerns. “They handed us the notice and left without explaining anything about what we were supposed to do,” he said.
However, resident Naman Kumar said that the BLO who visited his locality explained the entire verification process, informed him about the required documents and also guided him about the next steps. “They explained everything and were helpful,” he said.
