Bhubaneswar, July 10 [UDN}:: The state government has appointed ten senior IAS officers as “Electoral Roll Observers” for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voter lists across Odisha. The appointments have been made by the Election Commission of India to ensure the smooth and transparent conduct of the voter list revision process.
According to a notification issued by Additional Chief Electoral Officer-cum-Special Secretary Sushant Mishra, the officers have been assigned responsibility for different districts of the state.
Rajesh Prabhakar Patil has been assigned Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapara, and Jajpur districts, while Arvind Agrawal will oversee Balasore, Bhadrak, and Mayurbhanj districts. Balwant Singh has been given charge of Kalahandi, Balangir, and Nuapada districts, whereas B. Parameswaran will supervise Subarnapur, Boudh, and Kandhamal districts.
Similarly, Vijay Ketan Upadhyay has been assigned Deogarh, Sambalpur, and Bargarh districts. D. Prasanna Kumar Reddy will monitor Ganjam, Gajapati, and Rayagada districts, while Sudhanshu Mohan Samal has been entrusted with Cuttack, Dhenkanal, and Angul districts.
Rashmita Panda has been assigned Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, and Bhubaneswar, while Mohammad Sadiq Alam will oversee Nabarangpur, Koraput, and Malkangiri districts. Sangram Keshari Mahapatra has been appointed observer for Keonjhar, Sundargarh, and Jharsuguda districts.
The observers have been instructed to visit their assigned districts at least three times during the voter list revision process and review the progress on the ground. Their visits will not be limited to district headquarters; they will also inspect polling stations in various Assembly constituencies.
During these visits, the observers will hold meetings with Members of Parliament, MLAs, and representatives of political parties to hear their concerns and seek their cooperation in ensuring an accurate electoral roll.
Members of the public will also be given an opportunity to meet the observers and raise complaints or issues related to the voter list. Details such as visit schedules and contact numbers of the observers will be widely publicized to facilitate easy communication with citizens.
If the number of deleted or newly added voters in any Assembly constituency exceeds the district average by more than one percent, or exceeds three percent in any specific constituency, the observers will personally verify the reports and reasons submitted by district election authorities.
After completing field inspections and reviews, all observers will submit detailed reports to the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha. The objective is to ensure that no eligible voter is left out of the electoral roll and that no ineligible person is included, thereby maintaining transparency and fairness in the electoral process.
The move is expected to strengthen public confidence in the electoral system and ensure free, fair, and inclusive elections in the state.
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