CH NEWS
BENGALURU
Kannada Rajyotsava awardee Mohamad Meeran Saheb has urged the Election Commission to give NRIs a year to complete electoral verification. The 81-year-old, who has lived in Dubai since 1974, appealed to Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer to provide a reasonable verification window for NRIs under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls. In a letter, Saheb said several NRIs, particularly from Udupi and Uttara Kannada, were reportedly asked to return to India before September 20 and submit additional documents. He said short-notice international travel involved high costs and was difficult for families, while some NRIs could travel only during winter holidays. Saheb suggested allowing NRIs to submit applications and documents online initially, followed by personal verification when convenient. He sought a one-year facilitation period to prevent genuine voters from being excluded.