Bengaluru: Two weeks after launching its doorstep caste certificate campaign, the govt has begun preparations to distribute more than 4.8 crore caste certificates free of cost across the state, aiming to help residents participate in the ongoing Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls.Revenue commissioner Meena Nagaraj CN has issued a circular directing all deputy commissioners to expedite the exercise. Under the plan, PDF copies of over 4.8 crore caste certificates available with the revenue department will be supplied district-wise, taluk-wise and village-wise by the Atal Ji Janasnehi Directorate.The deputy commissioners (DCs) have been instructed to have the certificates printed through authorised agencies at the district, taluk or hobli level, in accordance with the Karnataka Transparency in Public Procurements Act-1999.The cabinet has approved free distribution of caste certificates, one of the 11 documents accepted by the Election Commission for the SIR exercise, to households across Karnataka. The govt will also send certificate download links through SMS and WhatsApp to mobile numbers available in official records.Officials have been directed to distribute the chief minister’s awareness message along with every caste certificate. The awareness message will be printed in colour, while the list of documents required for the SIR exercise will be printed in black and white on the reverse. The printing cost for the three-document set has been capped at Rs 2.25.To ensure accountability, the govt has developed a mobile application through which officials must record every delivery after obtaining acknowledgement from beneficiaries using their mobile number or Aadhaar number.The cabinet has also approved a permanent residence certificate service, with the DCs directed to issue the certificates on priority. The revenue department has instructed all the DCs to complete the exercise at the earliest.