Odisha SIR drive to begin from May 30; BLOs to conduct door-to-door visits: Chief Electoral Officer S Gopalan
Bhubaneswar, May 29
Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, S Gopalan, on Friday announced that a Special Intensive Revision drive will be conducted across the state from May 30 to June 28 to update and streamline the electoral roll process.
Speaking to ANI, Gopalan said Booth Level Officers (BLOs) will play a key role in reaching out to citizens directly during the drive.
"SIR will start from tomorrow, May 30, and continue until June 28. BLOs will go door-to-door to meet people. During these visits, they will distribute forms. People will have to fill out these forms and return them to the BLOs," the CEO said.
To ensure maximum public convenience and to address any grievances on the spot, the CEO further stated that BLOs would be stationed at their designated booths for fixed hours every day.
"To assist people, BLOs will be present at their respective booths every day from 3 PM to 5 PM. This will allow citizens to seek help or submit their documents in person... If people wish, they can also directly download the census form from the ECI website," he added.
The Special Intensive Revision (SIR) schedule has been outlined for multiple States and Union Territories with clearly defined timelines for each stage of the electoral roll process.
For Odisha, along with Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur, the qualifying date is July 1, 2026.
The preparation, training and printing phase will run from May 20, 2026, to May 29, 2026, followed by house-to-house visits by Booth Level Officers (BLOs) from May 30, 2026, to June 28, 2026.
Rationalisation of polling stations will be completed by June 28, 2026. The draft electoral roll will be published on July 5, 2026, with the period for filing claims and objections from July 5, 2026, to August 4, 2026.
The notice phase and disposal of claims and objections will continue from July 5, 2026, to September 2, 2026, and the final electoral roll will be published on September 6, 2026.
— ANI
Reader Comments
Great initiative! As someone who recently turned 18, I was waiting for this drive to register myself. The online option on ECI website is also convenient for tech-savvy youth like me. But BLOs should be trained properly to handle queries with patience. Many elderly people in our area don't understand the forms properly. 🇮🇳
Same qualifying date (July 1, 2026) for Odisha, Mizoram, Sikkim, and Manipur seems logical for administrative uniformity. But I wonder if the timelines are a bit tight—only 30 days for house-to-house visits across these states with varying terrain. Hope the BLOs get adequate support and resources.
Finally some proactive steps to clean up the electoral roll! Many families I know have deceased members still listed, while new voters are missing. BLOs visiting homes can help identify such discrepancies. But CEO sahab should also ensure strict action against those who try to manipulate the rolls for political gain.
It's good that they are starting early—more than a year before the actual election. This gives ample time for corrections. But I'm concerned about the BLOs' workload. They already have many responsibilities like census, survey, and other government work. Hope they aren't overburdened and can focus on this properly. 😊
A well-structured plan with clear timelines—draft publication, claims/objections period, and final roll by September 2026. The provision of booth presence from 3-5 PM daily shows understanding of citizen convenience. However, I hope
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