New Delhi, May 30 (IANS). Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists will begin in Odisha from Saturday. Under this, Booth-Level Officers (BLOs) will conduct door-to-door verification drives across the state to distribute enumeration forms, assist residents in filling them and collect back the filled forms.
Speaking to reporters, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R.S. Gopalan said on Friday that the door-to-door verification process, which began on May 30, would be completed by June 28. He said that during this period, BLOs will visit the homes of voters in the morning and provide counting forms to each voter.
These forms will include voter’s personal information, family details and information related to the voter list of 2002. During these visits, BLOs will verify the information and correct minor errors wherever necessary.
The CEO has directed the BLOs to remain on utmost alert to ensure that no eligible Indian voter is left out and no ineligible person is included in the voter list.
Gopalan said that the draft voter list will be published on July 5. The period for filing claims and objections has been fixed from July 5 to August 4.
Similarly, the notice period and settlement of claims and objections will continue from July 5 to September 2, while the final voter list will be published on September 6, 2026.
BLOs have also been instructed to be present at their respective polling stations between 3 pm to 5 pm every day, so that voters can also submit their forms directly at the polling station. 45,255 BLOs have been deployed across the state to smoothly conduct the SIR (Special Intensive Review) process. They have also been given necessary training for this work.
The CEO also informed that in addition, 33,000 booth level agents have been appointed so far and they are currently undergoing training. Help desks have also been activated to assist voters.
He said that voters who prefer digital medium can download the counting form directly from the Election Commission website and upload the filled form online. For any queries residents can contact their local BLO through the dedicated BLO app.
Addressing concerns related to logical inconsistencies or errors and documentary evidence, Gopalan clarified that most of the discrepancies found in voter lists, such as errors in name or age, are minor and can be resolved only through a single field check.
CEO Gopalan said, “Actually, most of the logical errors are minor, like difference in age, difference in name. These can be rectified in a field investigation through just a Panchnama. For serious errors, the voter may be asked to provide supporting evidence. Even if there is no supporting evidence, the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) can take a decision. Lack of evidence does not mean the voter is ineligible.”
For voters who are currently away from their homes, the CEO confirmed that family members can collect the enumeration form on their behalf and sign it for them.
–IANS
SCH/AS