Bhubaneswar: With the objective of ensuring all eligible citizens in the state are included in the electoral roll and to strengthen a transparent electoral process, a state-level capacity building workshop for radio broadcasters was held at the conference hall of the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha Saturday.
The programme was organised by The Sociogenic Foundation and Outreach in collaboration with the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Odisha. Addressing the gathering as the chief guest, Odisha Chief Electoral Officer RS Gopalan stressed the importance of the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of the electoral roll.
He emphasised that for strengthening democracy, it is essential that every eligible Indian citizen’s name is included in the voter list. He advised officials and broadcasters to remain vigilant so that no eligible voter is left out and no ineligible person is included in the rolls.
Key discussions during the workshop included the process through which every Indian citizen who has attained 18 years of age can register as a voter. Participants were also briefed on procedures for correcting errors in the voter list and filing claims and objections.
Highlighting the importance of media outreach, officials noted that radio remains a powerful medium for disseminating accurate information and spreading awareness among the public. The workshop focused on encouraging radio broadcasters to actively inform citizens about their constitutional rights and electoral responsibilities.
During the interactive session, radio broadcasters engaged directly with CEO Gopalan on SIR mapping and discussed the functionality and wider use of the ECI Net App developed by the Election Commission to facilitate electoral services.
Representatives and broadcasters from various radio stations across the state participated in the workshop and gained insights into several technical aspects related to elections.
Among those present were Additional CEO Sushant Kumar Mishra, Deputy CEO Laxmi Prasad Sahu, Financial Advisor Sanjay Kumar Lugun, senior radio broadcaster Ashok Panigrahi, and Public Relations Officer Bijayananda Mallik, along with other officials.
