Bhubaneswar

The Odisha State Election Commission (SEC) has scheduled a virtual review meeting on July 21 to assess preparations for the panchayat and urban local body (ULB) elections slated for next year, officials said on Friday.

According to an official communication, the meeting will be chaired by State Election Commissioner M S Padhi and conducted through the Odisha State Wide Area Network (OSWAN) platform from 11.30 am.

The SEC has directed all district collectors and senior election officials to participate in the review. Additional district magistrates serving as nodal officers for municipal elections, electoral registration officers (EROs), assistant electoral registration officers (AEROs), and officials handling General Miscellaneous (GM) work in the collectorates have also been asked to attend.

Sources in the SEC said the primary focus of the meeting will be to evaluate the ongoing door-to-door verification drive being undertaken for the preparation of booth-wise electoral rolls for the 2027 panchayat and civic elections.

The Commission will also review the status of pending detailed contingent bills and utilisation certificates related to the 2022 municipal elections.

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Officials are expected to present updates on the implementation of decisions taken during earlier review meetings, while the Commission will discuss further measures to ensure that all election-related activities are completed within the prescribed timeline.