The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Odisha is set to commence on Saturday, with 45,255 booth-level officers (BLOs) conducting door-to-door visits to distribute and collect enumeration forms from electors. State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R S Gopalan announced this during a press conference on Friday, confirming that July 1, 2026, has been fixed as the qualifying date for the SIR.
Preparatory Work Completed
Printing and preparatory work were finalized on Friday, and training of BLOs has also been completed on schedule, Gopalan stated. The BLOs will conduct door-to-door visits from May 30 to June 28, providing each elector with two enumeration forms. These forms require details of the elector's personal information, family members, and data related to the 2002 voter list. The BLOs will verify the information and correct minor errors, according to the CEO.
Vigilance and Polling Station Reorganisation
The CEO has directed BLOs to remain vigilant to ensure no eligible Indian voter is left out and no ineligible person is included in the electoral roll. Reorganisation of polling stations will be completed by June 28, and the final electoral roll will be published on September 6, Gopalan added.
Mapping and Transparency Measures
During the preparatory phase, out of approximately 3.16 crore total electors, 94.61% have been mapped with the voter list from the last SIR published in 2002. “Electors who could not be mapped during the pre-SIR phase can also get mapped during the revision by submitting appropriate information,” the CEO explained.
To ensure complete transparency and prior participation of political parties, the CEO has requested them to appoint booth-level agents (BLAs) for each polling station. So far, 33,026 BLAs have been appointed by recognised political parties in the state.
Heatwave Guidelines
In view of the prevailing heatwave conditions in Odisha, the CEO has issued special guidelines for the protection of BLOs engaged in field work. BLOs have been directed to carry out their duties from 6 am to 11 am and from 4 pm to 7 pm to avoid peak heat hours. The CEO has also met with Superintendents of Police and Electoral Registration Officers across all districts to ensure BLOs receive immediate support if they encounter any issues during duty hours.
