Bhubaneswar: The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) has initiated groundwork for the 2027 Panchayati Raj Institutions (PRI) and Urban Local Bodies (ULB) elections by convening a statewide review meeting with all district collectors and district magistrates on July 21.According to an official communication issued by SEC OSD S K Dash, a video conference will be held on July 21 under the chairmanship of the State Election Commissioner, which will focus on the proposed door-to-door survey for preparation of booth-wise electoral rolls for the forthcoming PRI and ULB elections scheduled for 2027.The SEC has asked all collectors and district magistrates to attend the meeting along with additional district magistrates serving as nodal officers for the ULB elections, electoral registration officers (EROs), assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs), and officials of the general miscellaneous sections of district collectorates.Sources said the commission is keen to begin electoral roll-related activities well in advance to ensure the smooth conduct of the dual local body elections. The proposed door-to-door survey is expected to help update voter databases and improve the accuracy of booth-wise electoral rolls across rural and urban areas.Besides election preparedness, the commission will also review the status of follow-up action on pending bills and utilisation certificates (UCs) related to the 2022 ULB elections. The issue figured in earlier review meetings, and the SEC is expected to seek updates from district administrations on the settlement of pending accounts.
