BHUBANESWAR: As Odisha gears up to undertake statewide special intensive revision (SIR) after a gap of over two decades, state chief electoral officer (CEO) RS Gopalan on Friday reviewed the readiness of the districts for the exercise and stressed careful planning and timely roll out of all activities.
In a video conference, the CEO asked the district collectors and district election officers (DEOs) to ensure well-structured planning and timely execution of each activity so that the SIR 2026 is carried out in a hassle-free manner.
He also asked the collectors to submit a comparative analysis of electoral rolls between 2002 and 2025, with summary reports and also directed to ensure disposal of Forms 6, 7, and 8 as per the scheduled timeline.
The key agendas discussed in the meeting also included preparation of a plan for printing the claims and objections forms immediately after the announcement of the SIR schedule and distribution of the same among booth-level officers (BLOs), filling up of vacant posts related to election activities by the collectors and DEOs, preparations for holding meetings with stakeholders, among others.
During the meeting, Gopalan emphasised on full cooperation with BLOs and reiterated that all tasks must be carried out in strict compliance with the directives of the Election Commission.
The last SIR had been carried out in the state in 2002. The exercise will involve a thorough, house-to-house verification of voters and rationalisation of polling stations to ensure accurate and inclusive electoral database.