The four-day state-level training program for election officials on the upcoming Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls concluded successfully in Bhubaneswar on Friday, March 13, 2026.
The training, held from March 10 to 13 at the Revenue Officers Training Institute (ROTI) in Gothapatna, aimed to ensure smooth, transparent, and efficient implementation of the SIR exercise starting April 1, 2026.
Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, R.S. Gopalan, graced the valedictory session and emphasised that no eligible voter should be excluded from the rolls. He addressed key aspects of the SIR process, stressing transparency, active participation, and field-level execution.
Officers from seven districts—Khordha, Ganjam, Nayagarh, Gajapati, Rayagada, Koraput, and Malkangiri—participated on the final day, including Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Additional EROs, and Deputy Collectors (Election).
The sessions covered critical topics such as:
- The SIR procedure and voter list revision methods
- Mapping current voters with the 2002 electoral roll as the baseline
- Data collection and field implementation
- Institutional and human resource preparedness
- Appointment of Booth Level Agents (BLAs) by political parties
- Training for BLAs on voter verification and form handling
- Identification of 20 key persons per polling booth
- Digitisation of enumeration forms, scanning, data entry, and verification
- Setting up help desks and IT cells at DEO/AERO offices
- Organising hearing camps for claims and objections to ensure timely resolution
Gopalan directed officers to conduct field visits for monitoring and stressed the importance of pre-notifying voters about camp dates, times, and locations. He reiterated the goal of achieving accurate, inclusive electoral rolls with no eligible voter left out.
Other dignitaries present included Additional CEO Sushant Kumar Mishra, Deputy CEO Laxmi Prasad Sahu, and senior officials.
This training equips officers practically and administratively for the SIR, a major nationwide effort to clean and update voter lists ahead of future elections.
