Hyderabad: The Saudi Arabia Telugu Association (SATA) has urged the govts of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh to take immediate steps to safeguard the voting rights of Non-Resident Indians (NRIs) in view of the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.The association said a large number of overseas Telugu voters are unaware of the enumeration and voter verification process currently underway in both states. While the exercise in Andhra Pradesh is being conducted till July 14, Telangana is scheduled to carry out the revision from June 25 to July 24.Speaking to TOI, SATA general secretary Muzzamil Sheikh said an estimated 8 to 10 lakh people from Andhra Pradesh and Telangana live abroad, many of whom could be affected if they fail to complete the required formalities.“Many NRIs are not aware of what the SIR is, whether they need to register, update details or respond to enumeration requests. Due to a lack of awareness, several people may simply ignore the process, which could ultimately affect their voting rights,” he said.Muzzamil noted that a significant proportion of Telugu migrants in Gulf countries are blue collar workers who have limited access to information and rarely travel to India. “Around 70 per cent of them are blue collar employees who typically get leave once in two years. It is not practical for them to travel to India to resolve voter registration issues,” he said.The association has urged both state govts and election authorities to launch large-scale awareness campaigns targeting overseas voters and strengthen online voter registration and verification services. It also suggested conducting online orientation programmes and webinars in Telugu to explain the process and requirements to NRIs.SATA said it has also begun its own awareness campaign among Telugu communities in Saudi Arabia through social media and community groups to educate eligible voters about the ongoing electoral roll revision and the steps required to ensure their names remain on the voter lists.“The govts should designate officials to interact with overseas communities through virtual seminars and awareness sessions so that voters understand the procedures and deadlines,” Muzzamil said.He stressed that overseas Telugu communities contribute significantly to the economic and social development of both states through remittances and investments and therefore deserve adequate support in exercising their democratic rights.
