Bhubaneswar: The special intensive revision (SIR) of electoral rolls, scheduled in the state from Wednesday, is likely to be delayed by a few days as the Election Commission (EC) is currently preoccupied with polls in some states.Chief electoral officer (CEO) R S Gopalan said the state machinery is prepared to initiate the exercise once the EC issues the detailed timeline. “We have not received the timeline from the EC yet. It may take some days,” Gopalan said, indicating that the revision would begin only after formal directions are communicated by the commission.The SIR is considered a crucial exercise aimed at ensuring error-free and updated electoral rolls ahead of future polls. During a special intensive revision, booth-level officers (BLOs) undertake door-to-door verification to identify eligible new voters, remove duplicate or ineligible names, correct demographic details, and update addresses of electors who have shifted residence.In Odisha, SIRs have historically been used to address long-standing issues such as migration-related duplication, inclusion of newly eligible youth voters, and correction of inaccuracies in voter details, particularly in urban pockets witnessing rapid population growth. Electoral authorities also focus on deleting names of deceased voters based on field verification and inputs from local agencies.
