Bhubaneswar: The draft electoral roll released as part of the Election Commission’s Special Intensive Revision (SIR) exercise in the state has given rise to widespread complaints from voters, with many alleging that their names have been deleted despite possessing valid electoral credentials.The draft rolls have also reportedly retained names of deceased persons who died years ago. The electoral rolls in Odisha also feature names of individuals who shifted out of their constituencies years ago, raising questions over the accuracy of the revision process.Several electors across districts said they were shocked to find their names missing from the rolls even though they have been voting regularly in previous elections. At the same time, residents pointed to multiple instances of duplicate entries and discrepancies in voter details, adding to the confusion ahead of the publication of the final rolls.“I have been voting from this constituency for more than a decade. When I checked the draft roll, my name was simply not there. I have all the required documents and have never applied for deletion or transfer of my voter registration,” Pramod Kumar Sahu, a resident of Jhanjiri Mangala in Cuttack, said.Families also claim that names of relatives who died years ago continue to feature in the electoral database. “My father passed away nearly four years ago, but his name is still on the voter list. At the same time, the names of two living members of our family have disappeared,” Debesh Debta, a resident of Bargarh, said.Residents also reported that some voters who shifted their residences to neighbouring districts long ago continue to remain enrolled in their old constituencies. In certain cases, voters claimed that names appeared more than once in the draft rolls, raising questions on the field surveys done by the Booth Level Officers (BLO).“The purpose of the revision is to remove duplication, but we have found instances where the same person’s name appears multiple times. My mother’s name was there in Bargarh where she used to live earlier and also in Sonepur where we live currently. These errors need to be addressed before the final publication,” Akash Mishra, a social activist, said.Another major complaint relates to the door-to-door verification process. Several residents alleged that Booth Level Officers (BLOs) never visited their homes despite claims of field verification. “No BLO came to our house for verification. If they had visited, many of these mistakes could have been avoided,” said Abhilash Nayak, a voter from Sambalpur.Election officials, however, maintained that the draft roll is only a preliminary document and that genuine errors can be corrected during the claims and objections period. “The draft electoral roll has been published precisely to allow voters to identify and report discrepancies,” said chief electoral officer, Odisha, RS Gopalan.He said that people are allowed to apply for correction till Aug 4. “If the names are deleted, valid voters can also apply after Sept 6. The whole exercise is aimed at preparing an error- free electoral roll,” said the CEO, adding that they are initiating action against BLOs for dereliction of duties.
