In a pivotal effort to create accurate, inclusive, and error-free voter lists for upcoming elections, R.S. Gopalan, the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, chaired a significant review meeting today. The meeting brought together ten newly appointed IAS officers serving as Voter List Observers for the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) 2026.
The hybrid meeting took place at the CEO’s office and included participation from Additional CEO Sushant Kumar Mishra, Joint CEO Gopinath Kumar, Deputy CEO Dr. Laxmiprasad Sahu, Anamika Singh, and other senior officials. The IAS observers contributed to discussions assessing the progress of this extensive endeavor.
During the meeting, attendees evaluated the successful distribution and collection of enumeration forms statewide, the ongoing digitization efforts, and the preparations for releasing the Draft Electoral Roll. The observers received comprehensive briefings on the entire SIR process, outlining their specific duties for the forthcoming stages of claims, objections, and final publication.
Just a day prior, on July 3, the state government appointed these ten senior IAS officers as Voter List Observers for various district clusters.
- Rajesh Prabhakar Patil (Cooperative Secretary) – Jagatsinghpur, Kendrapada, Jajpur
- Arvind Agrawal (Higher Education Secretary) – Balasore, Bhadrak, Mayurbhanj
- Balwant Singh (Tourism Secretary) – Kalahandi, Bolangir, Nuapada
- B. Parameshwaran (SC & ST Secretary) – Subarnapur, Boudh, Kandhamal
- Bijay Ketan Upadhyay (Odia Language, Literature & Culture Secretary) – Deogarh, Sambalpur, Bargarh
- D. Prashant Kumar Reddy (IDCO Managing Director) – Ganjam, Gajapati, Rayagada
- Sudhanshu Mohan Samal (Central RDC) – Cuttack, Dhenkanal, Angul
- Rashmita Panda (MSME Secretary) – Puri, Khordha, Nayagarh, Bhubaneswar
- Mohammad Sadiq Alam (General Industries Secretary) – Nabarangpur, Koraput, Malkangiri
- Sangram Keshari Mahapatra (RDC) – Kendujhar, Sundargarh, Jharsuguda
While addressing the observers, CEO Gopalan emphasized the importance of closely monitoring the scrutiny of the draft electoral roll and promptly addressing any objections or complaints. He instructed them to guarantee that no eligible voter is omitted and that the final voter list is accurate, comprehensive, and free of errors.
This meeting represents a crucial milestone in the state’s preparations for the Special Intensive Revision 2026, reinforcing Odisha’s dedication to a transparent and participatory electoral process.
