After multiple complaints over the wrongful deletion of nearly 9.8 lakh names from the voter list in Odisha, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has now stepped in and ordered strict verification before the final electoral roll is prepared. The issue has come up during the voter mapping exercise carried out ahead of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR).
According to a report by The Indian Express, officials from the CEO’s office said they have received a large number of complaints from people who claim their names were removed without proper checks. In some cases, voters were still living at their registered addresses, while in others, Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had not even conducted field visits before marking names for deletion. The mapping exercise was carried out between January and March.
Lakhs of objections filed
After these concerns came to light, the CEO’s office received around two lakh Form-7 applications after 2nd April. These forms are used to raise objections regarding the inclusion or deletion of names in the voter list. For now, all these applications have been put on hold until proper verification is completed.
To ensure fairness, Electoral Registration Officers (EROs) have been instructed to confirm that at least 50% of these objection cases are physically verified. They also need to ensure that all procedures are properly followed before any name is removed from the list.
CEO calls for careful verification
Speaking about the issue, Odisha CEO RS Gopalan said that such deletions are not unusual, but admitted that the numbers are slightly higher this time.
“Usually, at least 7-9 lakh names are generally deleted from the electoral roll every year due to various reasons. The number is slightly high because of door-to-door mapping by the BLOs ahead of the SIR exercise,” he said.
He also clarified that BLOs themselves do not have the authority to delete names directly. “The BLOs can’t delete these names. They will have to get the Form-7 signed by the family members of such people or from neighbours of such people in case the entire family is not there. Since two lakh Form-7 have been received by us, the EROs have been asked to properly verify these cases,” Gopalan added.
Clear guidelines issues to officials
The CEO’s office has now issued strict instructions to all officials handling the process. In cases where a voter is reported dead, names can only be removed after proper verification and after sending a notice to the last known address. Similarly, if there are duplicate entries or doubtful records, officials must inform the concerned voter and follow due process before taking action.
Officials have also been told to personally contact those who have filed objections. Complaints received through email, the 1950 helpline, or other platforms will also be thoroughly checked.
The Special Intensive Revision in Odisha was originally scheduled to begin on 1st April. However, it has now been postponed due to ongoing elections in five states. Officials have said that the process is likely to begin in May.
