Sanitation workers from the Greater Hyderabad Municipal Corporation are conducting a voter list survey in some parts of the Old City area instead of the usual Asha workers. Some voters are concerned that their votes might get canceled as the sanitation workers conducting the survey lack awareness about the enumeration of voters. The workers have been going door-to-door with the list and enquiring about the voter’s name in the list and confirming their identity. Residents worry that the municipal corporation’s lackadaisical attitude may lead to citizens losing their vote.
Congress leader K Venkatesh alleges that the sanitation workers are mostly uneducated and cannot read or write, so they cannot identify the door number, read out names, or identify present voters, dead voters, and new voters. This may lead to voters losing their chance to vote. Previously, Asha workers and hired agencies conducted the surveys ahead of elections, and they were paid for their duty. Now, these workers were appointed with no charges and are holding a survey.
One sanitation worker said that most of them could not even read and write and identify the house number, name, and area. A majority of them are not off the field, as they are on their duty of collecting garbage. Meanwhile, Mohammed Ahmed, Vice President Minority Cell, TDP, claims that the workers with the influence of local leaders are holding the survey and uploading bogus votes in the area.
