SIR drive: Door-to-door voter verification to begin in Odisha from May 30

Bhubaneswar, May 29 (SocialNews.XYZ) The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral rolls will commence in Odisha from Saturday, with Booth Level Officers (BLOs) launching a door-to-door verification across the state from May 30 to distribute enumeration forms, assist residents in filling them out, and collect the completed forms.

Speaking to media persons, Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R.S. Gopalan said on Friday that the house-to-house verification process beginning from May 30 will be completed by June 28. He said during the above period, the BLOs will visit the homes of electors in the morning and provide enumeration forms to each voter.

The forms will contain details related to the elector’s personal information, family particulars, and information linked to the 2002 electoral roll. During the visits, BLOs will verify the information and correct minor discrepancies wherever necessary.

The CEO has instructed BLOs to remain vigilant to ensure that no eligible Indian voter is left out and that no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll.

Gopalan stated that the draft electoral roll will be published on July 5. The period for filing claims and objections has been fixed from July 5 to August 4.

Similarly, the disposal of claims and objections and the notice period will continue from July 5 to September 2, while the final electoral roll will be published on September 6, 2026.

The BLOs have also been directed to remain present at their respective polling booths between 3 p.m. and 5 p.m. daily, so voters can also submit their forms directly at the booth. As many as 45,255 BLOs have been deployed across the state to conduct the SIR smoothly. They have also been imparted the necessary training for the exercise.

The CEO also revealed that, additionally, 33,000 Booth Level Agents have so far been appointed and are currently undergoing training. Help desks have also been activated to assist voters.

He said the voters who prefer a digital route can download the enumeration form directly from the Election Commission’s website and upload the filled form online. For queries, residents can reach their local BLO through the dedicated BLO app.

Addressing concerns about logical discrepancies or errors and documentary proof, Gopalan clarified that most discrepancies in voter rolls — such as errors in name or age — are minor and can be resolved through a single-field inquiry.

“Actually, most of the logical errors are small, like discrepancy in age, discrepancy in name. These can be sorted out through just one Panchnama in a field inquiry. 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 decide. Absence of evidence does not mean that the voter is disqualified,” said CEO Gopalan.

For voters currently away from their homes, the CEO confirmed that family members are authorised to collect the enumeration form on their behalf and sign it for them.

Source: IANS