Harekala Hajabba SIR Row: Padma Shri Awardee Gets Notice Over Name Discrepancy

New Delhi: Six years after being conferred the Padma Shri for his contribution to education, noted educationist Harekala Hajabba has received a notice from the Election Commission over a discrepancy in his name in the electoral rolls.

Hajabba, who was awarded the Padma Shri in 2020, received the notice on Monday as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Karnataka. The notice was issued after his name was found to differ from the one recorded in an older voter list.

Hajabba's name appeared as only 'Hajabba' in the 2002 electoral roll, while his name in subsequent official records is recorded as 'Harekala Hajabba', NDTV reported citing sources.

The Padma awardee currently has 'Harekala Hajabba' listed on his Aadhaar card, ration card, passport and new voter ID. The same name also appears in documents related to his Padma Shri and other awards.

The notice was delivered to Hajabba by Anganwadi workers who visited his residence. He has been directed to appear before the gram panchayat on September 11 with the required original documents to present his case.

From orange seller to educationist

Hajabba rose to national prominence from humble beginnings as an orange seller in Mangaluru, Karnataka. He used his earnings from selling oranges on the streets and at a bus stand to build a primary school in his native village of Newpadapu, driven by his desire to improve access to education.

The Central government announced his Padma Shri in January 2020. However, the award was formally presented in November 2021 due to COVID-19 protocols.

Karnataka's SIR exercise

Hajabba is among nearly 44 lakh people in Karnataka who are set to receive notices during the 'disposal of claims and objections' phase of the state's SIR exercise. The phase is scheduled to run from August 24 to October 22, after which the final electoral roll is expected to be published on October 27.