Pune: Extension of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) deadline from Aug 8 to Aug 17 has brought relief to many, including housing society associations and resident welfare forums engaged in outreach efforts. However, the task at hand remains formidable.Not taking it lightly, people are coming together to lend a hand to fellow voters, with citizen-driven groups running from one flat and society to the next of their own volition, making non-stop calls to ensure no one is left behind in this vital democratic process. In areas like Mundhwa’s Keshavnagar or in Kharadi, chairpersons of resident associations and societies are looking at the SIR as a way to ensure that their hard work done during the election period does not go to waste. Ranjeet Lonkar, chairperson of Venkatesh Graffiti Elite society in Keshavnagar, said, “During polls, we ensured that we got several people registered as voters by following due process, and also that they voted. Now, if they don’t do this documentation on time, they could lose their power as voters. We don’t want to take that risk. A lot of civic issues need addressing and there is strength in numbers — politicians tend to focus on areas where more electors reside. This process is crucial for us.” Not only did the society group share awareness messages before and after the SIR process began, but they also featured multiple reminders and lists, all aimed at getting residents to complete enrollment. “After a list was circulated with names of those who had yet to finish the process, we sent them texts with their assigned booth-level officer (BLO) details, and kept them posted about which officer is available, when and where to make things smoother,” Lonkar added. Similarly, members of the Kharadi Housing Societies Welfare Association (KHSWA) have been helping residents find their 2002 data and fill forms accordingly. The association had done a lot of legwork during elections too, not just to increase the number of registered voters in their area, but also to ensure that the turnout was high. From helping eligible voters find centres to driving senior citizens and helping in elector registrations, major efforts were taken. Not letting this go waste, KHSWA has consistently promoted the SIR process, spread messages among members and spent weekends cold calling residents. “We called people on Saturday and Sundays to ask if they had completed the SIR process yet and if we could help. In some cases, the solution was easy. When it wasn’t, we reached out to the BLO to resolve it or stayed in touch with the resident till they managed to get it done. For weeks, ‘Have you finished your SIR process?’ was how conversations began for KHSWA committee members,” said association secretary Manoj Dudhankar. In many areas, society associations became the support system not just for residents but also for BLOs, who have been struggling to ensure that all names on their list are accounted for. In Kalyaninagar, for instance, a BLO was trying to reach out to a family that had migrated overseas as the records showed it had four members, none of whom had verified their information. “Three of these family members had passed away. At the BLO’s request, I contacted the fourth living family member, who promptly shared the death certificates. These were forwarded to the BLO to facilitate accurate record updates,” said Drayson Dixon, vice-chairperson of Team Swachh Kalyaninagar (TSKN). “In another case, it was confirmed that an individual had been a tenant in Kalyaninagar at the time of earlier enrolment and had since relocated. We were able to help the BLO find this out and resolve the issue,” he added. TSKN also regularly shared official guidance through its WhatsApp group and encouraged residents to complete verification at the SIR centre set up in the area. Where necessary, members provided contact details of BLOs to enable effective coordination. Across town in Bavdhan, several addresses and telephone numbers on the lists with BLOs proved to be incorrect. The latter then sat in two separate public schools and residents were asked to visit them. For senior citizens, the respective BLOs visited their homes, first to give them the forms and then to collect them, too. The Bavdhan Citizens Forum (BCF) spurred these efforts, helping BLOs connect with and encourage citizens to visit their temporary offices, where they could complete the SIR process, explained forum core-member Manish Deo. “We are continuing to publish the BLO list and promoting SIR on our group frequently. Initially, when the exercise had just been announced, we also actively helped answer queries and clear any confusion the residents may have had,” Deo added. Some committee members also arranged for BLOs to visit their society and wait for a few hours, so residents would not have to struggle to reach them. “After coordinating between residents and BLOs, we decided that a small set-up for them in our society club house would be ideal. We finalised the dates, communicated these to residents and the process became much smoother for many. It is the least we could do,” said Mandar Deshpande, committee member of the High Class Residency society in Bavdhan Budruk. In Pimpri Chinchwad, a combined meeting of committee members or chairpersons of societies registered with Pimpri Chinchwad Housing Societies Federation was held to promote SIR awareness and let representatives know how they could contribute. Federation president Sachin Londhe said their members became the first point of contact for BLOs as well as residents. “We requested some BLOs to set up camp in societies for ease of residents, which was fulfilled with the help of local corporators. This was primarily done where the senior citizen population was high. Accessibility is a big issue for this demographic, and many might not have the expertise to complete the process online,” he added. Setting up camps in societies was crucial for not just senior citizens, but also working professionals who had limited time at their disposal, and others with data inconsistency issues that prevented them from completing the needful online. Even larger societies opted for such a set-up. Committee members of Blue Ridge Township Unit C in Hinjewadi turned their clubhouse into an SIR process facilitation centre for three days. Timing and dates were communicated to residents and BLOs’ numbers were forwarded to all as well. “We also helped BLOs distribute and collect forms, encouraged and followed up with residents to complete the process and educated the latter on why it is important. Many filled forms online, but for senior citizens and professionals who have tight schedules, the set-up was an easy option,” Unit C secretary Prasad Desai said. CITIZEN-SPEAK Initially, the SIR process was in a door-to-door format as a foolproof way to identify eligible voters and remove deceased or non-resident Indians from voter lists. However, manpower crunch and other logistical challenges made this difficult, so residents were asked to visit BLOs where they set up camp, be it in govt schools or society premises. Our federation relied heavily on social media to raise awareness and encourage people to finish the process swiftly— Sachin Londhe | President, Pimpri Chinchwad Housing Societies Federation, Pimpri Chinchwad We have a cosmopolitan crowd in the society and so, many of them accomplished the SIR process online. But, with the help of our society manager, we brought BLOs to our society and set up station for a few days. This was helpful for some senior citizens and a lot of people from other societies. It just got closer and more convenient for them — Piya Mirajkar | Chairperson, Clover Highlands Society, NIBM Road Our society committee members were busy calling residents to educate them on and encourage them to finish the SIR process. We were conduits for many who did not know how to reach out to BLOs or who they were. Confusion was rife in the beginning. We shared BLOs’ numbers in society groups and via repetitive texting and calling, ensured that all residents finished enrolment. There are a few more to go, but we are hopeful everyone gets it done — Prajakta Rudrawar | President, Celestial City Phase 1 society, Ravet
