Nabarangpur, July 30 UDN}: The Electoral Roll Observer and Commissioner-cum-Secretary of the Government Enterprises Department, Mohammad Sadiq Alam, IAS, today visited Nabarangpur district for the second time to review the progress of various activities being undertaken under the Special Intensive Revision (SIR)-2026 of the electoral rolls.
During the review, the Electoral Roll Observer directed the concerned officials to ensure that the electoral rolls remain transparent, accurate, clean, and free from errors, while emphasizing that all revision-related activities must be completed within the stipulated timeline and strictly in accordance with the guidelines and instructions issued by the Election Commission of India.
At the Ashok Mehta Conference Hall, Nabarangpur District Collector and District Election Officer Dr. Maheswar Swain welcomed the Electoral Roll Observer. A detailed review meeting was subsequently held, during which extensive discussions were conducted on several important aspects of electoral roll management, including the revision of electoral rolls, disposal of claims and objections, distribution of EPIC voter identity cards, registration of young and first-time voters, and timely resolution of online public grievances.
As part of his district visit, Mohammad Sadiq Alam also inspected Bhatarasiuni Gram Panchayat under Nabarangpur Block and visited various locations within the Nabarangpur Municipality area. During these field visits, he reviewed the implementation of the electoral roll revision process at the ground level and interacted with officials involved in the exercise.
Regarding the progress of the electoral roll revision process, officials informed the meeting that the District Election Officer (DEO) and Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) are regularly monitoring applications submitted through Forms 6, 6A, 7, and 8 by using reports generated through the ERONET system. At the same time, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) are conducting door-to-door surveys as part of the electoral roll verification and revision exercise.
As of July 27, 2026, a total of 494 Form-8 applications had already been received in the district. In addition, re-verification of the 20 polling stations in each Assembly Constituency that recorded the highest number of additions and deletions has been completed. Officials also informed the review meeting that, so far, no application under Form-6A has been received from Non-Resident Indian (NRI) voters in the district.
The authorities further informed that claims and objections relating to the electoral roll are being disposed of in a qualitative and transparent manner. Notices are being issued in all relevant cases, and acknowledgements of the notices are being uploaded through the BLO App. All concerned parties are being provided an opportunity to present their views during the hearing process. The relevant records and documents are also being properly preserved at the BLO and AERO levels to ensure transparency and accountability throughout the revision process.
Regarding the distribution of Elector Photo Identity Cards (EPICs), the officials informed that all 39,710 EPIC cards printed since the previous year have already been completely distributed to the concerned voters. Another 15,542 EPIC cards, which are expected to be received from a new vendor, will be distributed immediately after their arrival.
The meeting also discussed measures being taken to improve the quality of photographs in the electoral roll. Officials informed that poor-quality and defective photographs appearing in the electoral rolls are being identified and corrected through the submission and processing of Form-8 applications.
Special attention was also given to the registration of young and first-time voters. According to the information presented during the review, 966 new young voters have been registered in Umerkote, 1,390 in Jharigam, 1,740 in Nabarangpur, and 1,721 in Dabugaon. The authorities are continuing efforts to encourage eligible young citizens to register themselves as voters and participate in the democratic process.
The review meeting also examined the status of public grievances related to electoral services. Officials stated that grievances received through platforms and systems including ERONET, the Voter Helpline App, the NGSP portal, and the 1950 call centre are being resolved within the prescribed time limits. The administration is closely monitoring such complaints to ensure that eligible voters receive timely assistance and that issues related to electoral registration and voter services are addressed efficiently.
The issue of possible duplicate voter registration was also reviewed, particularly in relation to bordering districts. Officials informed that cases involving individuals whose names may have been registered more than once are being identified and reported to the higher authorities for further examination and necessary action.
The Electoral Roll Observer emphasized the importance of maintaining the highest standards of accuracy and transparency throughout the SIR-2026 process. He directed all officials associated with the electoral roll revision exercise to remain vigilant, ensure proper verification of applications, follow due procedures for claims and objections, and complete all assigned tasks within the prescribed deadlines.
The review meeting was attended by Additional District Magistrate (General) Pramod Kumar Pusti, Additional District Magistrate (Revenue) Biswajit Barman, Chief Development Officer-cum-Executive Officer of the Zilla Parishad Biranchi Narayan Darban, Sub-Collector Prakash Kumar Mishra, Deputy Collector (Election) Chinmay Kumar Sahu, along with all Electoral Registration Officers (EROs), Assistant Electoral Registration Officers (AEROs), and other concerned officials.
The district administration reiterated its commitment to ensuring a clean, accurate, transparent, inclusive, and error-free electoral roll. The ongoing SIR-2026 exercise is aimed at ensuring that all eligible citizens are properly included in the electoral roll, while ineligible, duplicate, or incorrect entries are identified and dealt with in accordance with established rules and Election Commission guidelines.
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