K’taka: Shivakumar urges voters not to lose voting rights during SIR process
Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said that no citizen should lose their voting rights during the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) process and directed officials to ensure complete awareness and proper documentation.
He was speaking after chairing a high-level meeting at Vidhana Soudha with senior bureaucrats, including additional chief secretaries, principal secretaries, district in-charge secretaries, senior police officers of the rank of Additional DGP and above, and senior forest department officials. He later addressed a press conference outlining the decisions taken at the meeting.
Shivakumar said officials must work with integrity and accountability, without yielding to any external pressure.
“I do not like to read history or write history. I want to create history and leave behind achievements as evidence of my legacy. Work according to your conscience. Do not succumb to pressure from ministers, MLAs, or my office. Work within the framework of law with a positive mindset and find solutions within the system,” he said.
He directed district in-charge secretaries to mandatorily visit taluks in their respective districts and review the implementation of government programmes.
Referring to the SIR process, the Chief Minister said special care must be taken to ensure that no eligible voter is deprived of voting rights.
“During the SIR process, no one should lose their voting rights. If people do not register properly, they may lose access to benefits. Everyone, including the Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister, is a voter. We must complete the enumeration forms, sign them, attach the required documents, and submit them properly. Awareness must be created so that no one loses their voting rights,” he said.
He added that facilitation centres will be set up in necessary areas to assist citizens during the process.
“All political parties will be given the opportunity to help ensure voters retain their rights. In some states, including Kerala, around 90 lakh to 60 lakh people have reportedly lost voting rights, and such a situation should not arise in Karnataka,” he said.
Shivakumar also instructed officials to submit details of pending works across departments and identify new initiatives that can be implemented within 25 days, within financial constraints.
He said district-in-charge ministers should be provided with complete information about their respective districts, and reports on the implementation of recent government decisions should be submitted.
The Chief Minister also raised concern about the utilisation of Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) funds, stating that around Rs 8,000 crore in CSR funding exists in the state, but the details of its utilisation are unclear.
He said the government is already planning to use CSR funds to construct KPS schools, with one school planned for every three gram panchayats, and that priority will be given to primary education.
“We will also write to organisations requesting CSR support for education. In the next five to six days, a detailed report will be prepared. After education, CSR funds will be directed towards the health sector,” he added.