Bhubaneswar: Panchayat polls in Odisha are likely to be held in January and February in 292, the State Election Commission said on Saturday.
State Election Commissioner Madhusudan Padhi told reporters that fresh election is slated to be conducted in as the tenure of the existing Panchayat bodies is coming to an end.
He said a preparatory meeting was held to review arrangements and chalk out the roadmap for the next Panchayat and Urban Local Body (ULB) elections in the state.
Ahead of the polls, door-to-door vot
er survey would be carried out for both Panchayat and municipal elections to ensure accurate and updated electoral rolls. The voter survey is likely to be completed by March this year. The exercise may be delayed by about a month due to the census process.
As part of the preparations, the SEC is holding meetings all district collectors, sub collectors, deputy collectors, district panchayat officers, and municipal commissioners. The last meeting was held in Sambalpur on January 13, and the next meeting is set to be held on January 20 at Chatrapur, said Padhi.
Padhi clarified that the voter survey has no connection with the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) set to be undertaken in the state. Booth reorganisation may be undertaken wherever required to improve voter convenience, he said.
The main objective is to ensure that polling booths are located as close as possible to voters’ residences for their convenience