Over 45,000 booth-level officers fanned out across Odisha on Saturday, beginning the door-to-door survey as part of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter rolls, Chief Electoral Officer R S Gopalan said. He added that the exercise commenced from the holy land of Lord Jagannath in Puri, with 45,255 BLOs spreading out to all 147 assembly segments of the state for the survey to be conducted from May 30 to June 28.
“Nearly 75 per cent of the electors have to only sign on the required forms, and do not need any document for the SIR. No genuine citizen will face any difficulty during the SIR,” he told the media.
The CEO said the BLOs have done a commendable job, as around 95 per cent of the voters have been mapped with the 2002 electoral roll, when the SIR was last conducted in Odisha.
“I also request people not to pay heed to unfounded rumours (surrounding the SIR exercise). We will make sure the process is completed as per the rules and peacefully,” Gopalan said.
The BLOs would undertake the door-to-door survey before 11 am every day and remain present at the booths from 3 pm to 5pm, keeping in view the prevailing heatwave conditions in the state, he said. The officers will distribute the enumeration forms, assist people in filling those, and collect the completed forms, the CEO added.
Each form records personal details, family particulars, and information linked to the 2002 electoral roll. BLOs will verify entries and correct minor discrepancies during the door-to-door survey, he said.
Gopalan said BLOs have been instructed to ensure that no eligible voter is excluded and no ineligible elector is added.
The draft electoral roll will be published on July 5, and the final list will be out on September 6, he said.
The BLOs will carry two pre-printed enumeration forms during the door-to-door survey, officials said, adding that new eligible voters can apply using Form 6 along with a declaration during this period. Claims and objections can be filed between July 5 and August 4, with disposal of complaints continuing until September 2, they said.
Gopalan said logical errors, such as discrepancies in age or name, can be resolved through simple field inquiries.
“Serious errors may require supporting evidence, but the absence of documents does not automatically disqualify a voter. Family members can collect and sign forms for voters who are away from home,” he said.
Apart from BLOs, as many as 33,000 trained booth-level agents (BLAs) have been appointed by political parties, the officials said.
Voters can also download forms from the Election Commission’s website, fill those and upload them online. During the day, the CEO also inaugurated a sand art installation by renowned artist Sudarsan Pattnaik at Puri sea beach to spread awareness about the SIR exercise.
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