Karnataka Chief Minister D.K. Shivakumar on Thursday said the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls should not be turned into a political issue and assured that the state government would provide full support to the Election Commission of India (ECI) during the process. He said the government’s priority was to ensure that no eligible citizen loses the right to vote.

Addressing the Belagavi Division-level Progress Review Meeting at Suvarna Vidhana Soudha, Shivakumar said only registered voters would be eligible for government benefits. He urged citizens to participate in the electoral roll revision process and announced that help desks would be opened in every ward and locality to assist people with documentation and related procedures.

The Chief Minister said the State Chief Electoral Officer had already clarified concerns regarding the revision exercise and reiterated that the Karnataka government was cooperating with the Election Commission. He stressed that protecting the voting rights of eligible citizens was a responsibility shared by both government authorities and the public.

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Shivakumar directed officials to ensure that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) visit every household at least three times and provide necessary application forms to eligible voters. He said the government would assist citizens in obtaining required documents and ensure that no genuine voter faces difficulties during the revision process.

The Chief Minister also emphasised the importance of administrative discipline and accountability. He said government officials were responsible for serving citizens every day and warned that negligence in duty would not be tolerated. He directed district and taluk-level officers to remain stationed within their jurisdictions so that public grievances could be addressed more effectively.

Shivakumar further instructed officials to conduct a detailed audit of government land records, stating that the state must maintain accurate information about its land holdings. He said the government was preparing an ambitious programme to provide housing sites to landless poor families and called for stronger local-level administration to reduce the need for citizens to repeatedly visit government offices for basic services.

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