MLC Ivan D’Souza said revenue officials in Karnataka will issue a permanent residential certificate (PRC) on the basis of documents produced by an applicant. He dismissed allegations by BJP leaders about misuse of PRC during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka.

Talking to reporters in Mangaluru on July 14, Mr. D’Souza said this is not the first time officials were issuing a PRC or domicile certificate. The PRC is issued on production of Aadhaar, proof of stay at a particular place, and other related documents. It is issued by a tahsildar. With complaints about difficulty for people to reach the tahsildar for the PRC, the government recently relaxed the norms to allow Panchayat Development Officers to issue a PRC.

He said that the PRC is among 11 documents accepted as proof of residence during the SIR. “The Congress does not want any bonafide citizen to lose their right to vote for absence of proof of residence. If it is found that a PRC is issued irrationally, then the officials concerned will be removed from service,” Mr. D’Souza said.

While stating that the SIR process was happening in a transparent way across 54,000 polling booths in Karnataka, Mr. D’Souza alleged that, in a few wards in Mangaluru city, the Booth Level Agents of BJP have taken enumeration forms from Booth Level Officers of people who have moved out and those who were staying in a building that has been demolished. “We are keeping a watch on these enumeration forms. If they are submitted, we will certainly raise objections if those names are found in the draft electoral roll of that place,” he said.

Questioning the claim of Deputy Commissioner H.V. Darshan that voters can take help at the help desk at polling booths to fill the enumeration forms, Mr. D’Souza said the help desk was practically dysfunctional, as the personnel posted at the desk were not conversant with filling of the form.

“The help desk in 1,800 booths in Dakshina Kannada district are practically dysfunctional. The personnel posted there do not know the process to fill the enumeration form. I will ask Mr. Darshan to post better people at the help desk,” he said.

Published - July 14, 2026 02:54 pm IST