Odisha CEO Implements Stricter Voter Deletion Verification Process
Odisha CEO orders stricter verification of voter deletion applications
Hindustan Times
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R Sant Gopalan, the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, has mandated stricter verification processes for deleting names from the electoral roll. Following complaints about wrongful deletions, electoral registration officers are now required to conduct thorough checks, especially for deceased voters, before any name is removed.
- 01Stricter verification mandated for voter deletions in Odisha.
- 02Around 980,000 names were shortlisted for deletion, raising complaints.
- 03Electoral registration officers must verify deceased voters through family applications.
- 04At least 50% of deletion requests must be physically verified.
- 05Wrongful deletions will require immediate re-enrollment of affected voters.
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R Sant Gopalan, the Chief Electoral Officer of Odisha, announced on Monday that electoral registration officers (EROs) must conduct thorough verification before deleting names from the electoral roll. This decision follows the identification of approximately 980,000 names shortlisted for deletion, which resulted in numerous complaints regarding wrongful removals. Gopalan emphasized that block-level officers (BLOs) are not authorized to delete names and must ensure proper verification is conducted. In a letter dated April 18, Sushanta Kumar Mishra, the additional chief electoral officer, instructed EROs to verify the deletion of deceased voters based on Form-7 applications from family members. The guidelines also include sending notices to the last known address of voters before any deletions. Furthermore, EROs are required to physically verify at least 50% of Form-7 applications received after April 2. The CEO's office has mandated that any wrongful deletions must be investigated, and affected voters should be re-enrolled immediately. The online system for electoral roll updates will only be reopened after EROs certify compliance with these new verification procedures.
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The new verification process aims to protect voters from wrongful deletions, ensuring that only eligible names are removed from the electoral roll.
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