Special Voter List Revision to Begin in Odisha Next Month After Nearly 25 Years

Bhubaneswar: After a gap of nearly 25 years, Odisha is set to roll out the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme of the electoral rolls in September. State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) R.S. Gopalan on Monday confirmed the exercise, assuring transparency and fairness in the process while addressing objections raised by political parties.

The SIR will conclude with the publication of the final voter list on 7 January 2026. The Election Commission, responding to concerns raised by the Congress and the ruling Biju Janata Dal (BJD), clarified that all objections had been duly addressed, with the BJD’s queries taken up on two occasions. The CEO urged political outfits not to make unfounded allegations that could erode public trust in the electoral system.

One of the major features of the drive will be the expansion of polling booths across Odisha, from 38,000 to 45,000, to increase voter accessibility. Over 7,000 duplicate serial numbers in the electoral rolls have also been removed to ensure accuracy and credibility.

“This revision of rolls is a regular democratic process. It was last carried out in 2002 and after almost 25 years, it is being taken up again. Duplicate, fake and deceased voters will be eliminated from the list,” constitutional analyst Manas Behera observed. He, however, cautioned that the requirement of 11 different documents for verification might burden common citizens and suggested that election authorities remain sensitive while implementing the process.