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Leader of the Opposition in the Odisha Assembly Naveen Patnaik, on Sunday, participated in the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls and urged citizens to verify their voter rights as the statewide exercise commenced.
Patnaik received and signed the enumeration form handed over by a Booth Level Officer (BLO) at his residence, Naveen Niwas, as part of the voter verification drive launched by the Election Commission. Emphasising the importance of safeguarding democratic rights, Patnaik said in a post on X, "Protecting the rights of voters is paramount in a democracy. By participating in the #SIR process that has begun in Odisha, I have ensured my voter rights. Before anyone removes your name from the voter list, everyone should verify their voter rights. In a democracy, the rights of every citizen must remain intact. #SIROdisha". The Special Intensive Revision drive began across Odisha on May 30 and will continue until June 28. The exercise aims to update and streamline electoral rolls ahead of future elections by verifying voter details through door-to-door outreach. Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, S Gopalan, had announced the programme on Friday and said Booth Level Officers would play a central role in the exercise by visiting households and distributing enumeration forms. "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," Gopalan told ANI. To facilitate public participation, BLOs will also remain available at designated polling booths every day between 3 pm and 5 pm to assist voters and receive completed forms. "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," the CEO said. According to the Election Commission's schedule, Odisha, along with Mizoram, Sikkim and Manipur, has July 1, 2026, as the qualifying date for the revision. The draft electoral roll will be published on July 5, while claims and objections can be filed until August 4. The final electoral roll is scheduled to be published on September 6, 2026. (ANI)
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