Bhubaneswar: BJD Rajya Sabha member Sasmit Patra on Thursday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar, urging him to ensure a transparent and error-free Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls in Odisha, scheduled to commence in July.
Concerns Over Voter Deletions
In his letter to the CEC, Patra raised concerns over the identification of nearly 9.8 lakh voters for deletion during the pre-SIR exercise. He cautioned that procedural lapses on such a large scale could impact genuine electors if not addressed properly.
Extensive and Sensitive Exercise
Referring to the Election Commission of India's announcement placing Odisha in Phase III of the nationwide SIR exercise, the MP noted that the state has over 3.34 crore registered electors, making the revision both extensive and sensitive.
Patra highlighted issues observed during the preparatory phase, including wrongful identification of electors for deletion, inconsistencies in field verification, and increased objections from citizens. These issues, he said, necessitate stronger safeguards before the full rollout.
Fundamental to Democratic Integrity
"The objective of maintaining accurate electoral rolls is fundamental to the integrity of the democratic process. Equally, it is essential that eligible electors are not inadvertently excluded due to procedural gaps or verification errors," Patra wrote.
The BJD MP stressed that even minor lapses in such a large-scale exercise could affect a significant number of genuine voters and undermine public confidence.
Suggested Measures
Patra outlined several measures to strengthen the process:
- Mandatory field verification before any voter deletion
- Advance notice and opportunity to respond for all voters proposed for deletion
- Enhanced supervision in high-deletion areas and stricter monitoring protocols
- Time-bound and accessible grievance redressal mechanisms
- Public disclosure of constituency-wise progress and categories of corrections
- Special outreach for vulnerable groups, including elderly voters, tribals, and migrants
Learning from Pre-SIR Phase
"Lessons from the pre-SIR phase should be used to plug gaps. Timely preventive and corrective measures would significantly reinforce public confidence in the integrity and inclusiveness of the electoral process," he said.
