SIR to begin in Odisha in September after 24 years

Odisha is all set to launch the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) programme in September (the coming month), after a long gap of around 24 years. The State Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) on Monday assured transparency, addressed objections from parties, and announced expansion in the booth numbers.

Also Read: Odisha gears up for intensive voter list revision after Bihar

According to sources, CEO-Odisha R.S Gopalan officially announced the launch of an intensive voter list revision drive from next month — a significant move coming after 24 years. The final voter list will be released on January 7, 2026, following completion of the verification process. The Election Commission has responded to all objections raised by political parties, especially the Odisha unit of Congress and Biju Janata Dal (BJD), and assured the public of a fair and transparent electoral process.

While Congress and BJD had raised concerns regarding the voter list, the CEO confirmed that all queries have been answered, with BJD’s objections being addressed twice. He emphasised that baseless allegations should not be used to undermine the credibility of the Election Commission or shake the public’s trust in the democratic process.

As part of the SIR programme, the number of polling booths in the State will increase from 38,000 to 45,000, aiming to enhance accessibility and participation. Additionally, over 7,000 duplicate serial numbers in the voter list have been identified and removed to ensure a clean and accurate database.

The move is seen as a significant step toward ensuring free, fair, and transparent elections in Odisha, setting the stage for upcoming electoral activities in the State.

“As a normal process, the revision of electoral rolls was carried out in 2002. Now, this will be done after nearly 25 years, and there is no problem with it. Those who have double Voter ID cards, who are fake voters, and who have died in the meantime will be removed from the list,” a constitution analyst, Manas Behera, had opined earlier when contacted.

“However, the 11 documents sought by the Government to revise the electoral roll will be difficult for the general public to produce. The election authorities should be sensitive to this and allow time taking the matter into consideration,” the analyst had added.

Reported By: Radhamadhab Mishra