Bengaluru, 9 September 2024 — The Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer clarified on Tuesday that a notice served to Padma Shri awardee Harekala Hajabba during the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls stemmed from a mismatch in his name, and that the error has now been rectified.
According to a post on X, the District Election Officer of Mangaluru shared a formal clarification stating that officials discovered a discrepancy between the name recorded in the current roll and the one entered during the previous SIR exercise. To correct the record, election staff visited Hajabba, collected supporting documents, and updated the entry.
The original notice, delivered to Hajabba's residence, instructed him to appear before the election officer on 11 September at the Harekala Gram Panchayat with the required paperwork. Within hours, the Village Accountant returned, retrieved the notice and assured Hajabba that the name issue would be fixed.
Hajabba, celebrated for building a school in his native Harekala with earnings from orange sales, has long been identified as "Harekala Hajabba" in official documents such as his Aadhaar, ration card, passport, Padma Shri citation, Karnataka Rajyotsava award and doctorate certificate. He explained that earlier records, prior to 2000, listed him simply as "Hajabba," which caused the recent electoral inconsistency.
In an interview, Hajabba recounted receiving the SIR notice around noon, handed over by two Anganwadi teachers who asked him to photograph the document as proof of service. Later that day, the Village Accountant called to describe the matter as a "minor mistake" and collected the notice, confirming that the electoral authorities would amend the entry.
The swift resolution has eased concerns among Mangaluru residents, who regard Hajabba as a pillar of the community for his contributions to education. Election officials emphasized that the correction aligns the electoral roll with the name used across all legal and award documents, ensuring that Hajabba retains his rightful place in the final roll.
Image for illustration purposes only
📰 Source: Mangalorean News