By RABINARAYAN JENA, OP
Bhubaneswar: With speculation over the timing of the next panchayat and municipal elections in Odisha gaining momentum, the State Election Commission (SEC) has instructed local body authorities to begin door-to-door surveys from October 26.
According to reports, the Urban Development Department has informed commissioners of all municipal corporations and executive officers of municipalities and notified area councils (NACs) to begin preparations for the crucial exercise. According to the instructions, special teams will conduct a door-to-door survey from October 26 to November 7.
The cutoff date for inclusion of new voters has been set as January 1, 2027. The draft electoral rolls and the final electoral rolls are scheduled to be published February 10, 2027. The commission has directed the authorities concerned to ensure that the voter survey and electoral roll revision are completed in an orderly manner and within the prescribed deadlines.
The department has also been asked to provide all necessary assistance to the teams conducting the door-to-door survey. As part of preparations for election management and revision of voter lists, a state-level training program for master trainers will be held September 23 at the State Convention Centre.
State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi said the commission has already begun all necessary preparations for the panchayat and municipal elections in the state. “Instructions in this regard were issued to the Panchayati Raj and Urban Development departments about a month ago. All District Collectors have also been informed,” Padhi said.
He said electoral rolls would play a crucial role in the elections and that the Collectors and officials of the two departments had been instructed to complete the process in accordance with the rules and within the stipulated timeframe.
