Election Commission Launches Special Intensive Revision (SIR) in Odisha and 16 States

Major Drive Initiated to Make Electoral Rolls More Accurate and Transparent

The Election Commission of India has directed the launch of a Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise across 16 states and 3 Union Territories, including Odisha, in a major step aimed at strengthening transparency and accuracy in the electoral process.

The large-scale revision programme is intended to remove deceased, shifted, and duplicate voters from electoral rolls while ensuring the inclusion of all eligible new voters ahead of upcoming elections.

Door-to-Door Verification by BLOs Begins

According to the Chief Electoral Officer, the special revision drive in Odisha began on April 1. As part of the exercise, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting door-to-door verification of voter details across the state.

Officials are also comparing the present electoral rolls with voter records from 2002 to identify discrepancies and prepare an error-free voter list.

More than 36 crore voters across the country are expected to be covered under the verification process.

Draft Electoral Roll to Be Published on July 5

The Election Commission has announced a detailed timeline for the revision process.

• Draft electoral rolls will be published on July 5.
• Voters can file objections or correction applications until August 4.
• All complaints and corrections will be resolved by September 2.
• The final electoral roll will be published on September 6.

The Commission has urged citizens to cooperate with BLOs during the verification drive and ensure their voter details are accurate.

What is SIR and Why is it Important?

Special Intensive Revision (SIR) is a comprehensive electoral roll verification process conducted by the Election Commission to maintain clean and updated voter lists.

The primary objective of the exercise is to:

• Include eligible new voters
• Remove names of deceased or migrated voters
• Eliminate duplicate entries
• Correct errors in voter identity details

The initiative is considered an important step to ensure free, fair, and transparent elections in the future.

Focus on Error-Free Electoral Rolls Before Upcoming Elections

The Election Commission believes that an updated and accurate voter list is essential for strengthening democracy and preventing electoral irregularities.

Through the SIR process, genuine voters are expected to face fewer issues while exercising their voting rights during future elections.