Odisha CEO orders stricter verification of voter deletion applications

Gopalan said that around 980,000 names were shortlisted for deletion by the BLOs this year, leading to a surge in complaints about the process.

Odisha’s chief electoral officer (CEO) R Sant Gopalan on Monday said electoral registration officers (EROs) have been ordered to conduct proper verification before deletion of names from the state’s electoral roll.

(Facebook/OdishaCEO)

“We have asked all the EROs to undertake proper verification before deleting the names from the electoral rolls,” Gopalan told reporters. He said block-level officers (BLO), who are not authorised to delete names from electoral rolls, have submitted their reports.

Gopalan said that around 980,000 names were shortlisted for deletion by the BLOs this year, leading to a surge in complaints about the process.

In an April 18 letter to the EROs, additional chief electoral officer-cum-special secretary Sushanta Kumar Mishra noted that nearly 980,000 names had already been shortlisted for deletion since the commencement of the elector mapping process and asked EROs to carry out a thorough verification before deleting voters, particularly deceased voters.

Officials said there were complaints about cases in which voters were found to be present despite their names having been removed, and instances in which Booth Level Officers (BLOs) had not conducted field visits or proper verification before recommending deletion.

Mishra instructed EROs to ensure that names of deceased voters are deleted only after thorough verification, preferably based on Form-7 applications submitted by family members or close relatives.

Notices must also be sent to the voter’s last known address before any deletion is carried out.

The CEO’s office also mandated detailed checks in cases involving suspected duplicate or erroneous entries. EROs have been directed to verify demographically similar entries and issue notices to electors where duplication or doubtful matches are suspected.

The revised guidelines require officials to physically verify at least 50% of Form-7 applications received after April 2 by contacting applicants directly.

All complaints related to wrongful deletions received through email, helplines or grievance systems must be thoroughly investigated, officials said.

In cases where deletion requests are still in process, the applications must be rolled back through the District Election Officer login system. Where names have been wrongfully removed, the affected voters must be re-enrolled immediately.

EROs will also be required to submit written certification confirming that at least half of the cases were physically verified and that the prescribed procedures were followed prior to deletions. The online system for electoral roll updates will be reopened for affected assembly constituencies only after such certification is completed.