Bhubaneswar: Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Odisha, R.S. Gopalan, announced the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of voters’ list will be undertaken in the State soon, marking the first such exercise in 24 years. The last SIR in Odisha was conducted in 2002.

Gopalan informed the final voter list, following the revision, will be published on January 7. The number of polling booths across the State will be increased from 38,000 to 45,000 to accommodate voters.

Addressing concerns, the CEO stated replies have already been given to objections raised by the Congress and the BJD. He added detailed clarifications were provided twice to the BJD and urged political parties not to make baseless allegations that could undermine the credibility of the Election Commission.

He further said 7,000 voter cards with Electoral Photo Identity Card (EPIC) numbers have been replaced, of which 5,000 belonged to Banki. He clarified no one can cast a vote using only the EPIC number, as a valid voter card is mandatory.

The SIR has recently come under political scrutiny, with Opposition parties in the Parliament protesting against the ongoing revision of electoral rolls in Bihar, alleging large-scale voter exclusions and demanding a debate.