Errors and Delays Plague Family Register Certificates During Electoral Roll Revision
Administrative inaccuracies and processing bottlenecks are undermining Telangana's new Family Register Certificates during a critical voter roll update. Applicants report age discrepancies and violations of the mandatory two-day service timeline, sparking fears of electoral anomalies.
Key takeaways
- Telangana's Family Register Certificates contain significant age errors, with some residents listed as zero years old due to outdated data usage.
- Despite a legal two-day deadline under GO Ms. 172, high application volumes have caused extensive processing delays in several mandals.
- Legislators are calling for a reprint option to allow citizens to correct inaccuracies before they impact the Special Intensive Revision of electoral rolls.
Data Discrepancies Undermine Documentation Process
Telangana residents applying for Family Register Certificates report widespread inaccuracies in personal data, specifically regarding age records. Investigation into certificates issued in the Toli Chowki area revealed documents where multiple family members were assigned a base age of zero. Experienced MeeSeva operators suggest the system relies on static, outdated records rather than current Election Commission data which includes precise dates of birth.
M.A. Akram, a 37-year-old resident of Sultan Shahi, discovered his certificate listed his age as 19. Akram noted that while his five-year-old child's details were accurate, his own entry appeared to pull data from a ration card issued nearly two decades ago. These errors have generated anxiety among citizens who fear that incorrect certificates will trigger red flags during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, potentially leading to formal notices or legal complications.
Statutory Deadlines vs. Administrative Backlogs
Under the guidelines of GO Ms. 172, authorities are required to issue Family Register Certificates within two working days of an application. However, documented evidence indicates significant delays, with numerous applications remaining in a pending state well beyond the legal timeframe. The disconnect between the government's mandate and actual delivery has left applicants vulnerable during the SIR process.
Official Response and Systemic Constraints
Revenue officials attribute the delays to an unprecedented surge in demand and the need for meticulous verification. Balapur Tahsildar P. Indira Devi reported that her office received approximately 7,000 applications, each requiring five to seven minutes of processing time by specialized staff. In response to these systemic failures, All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen MLA Mohammed Majid Hussain has petitioned MeeSeva Commissioner T. Ravi Kiran to implement a 'reprint' function, allowing citizens to rectify errors in their existing certificates.
Key Facts
- GO Ms. 172 mandates a service delivery timeline of two working days for certificate issuance.
- Multiple certificates show age-related errors, including members listed as zero years old.
- Balapur mandal alone has processed roughly 7,000 applications amidst the backlog.
- Concerns exist that static data from old ration cards is being used instead of active voter records.
- The SIR process currently underway utilizes these certificates for voter identity verification.
Source: The Hindu — National
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