Odisha's chief electoral officer R Sant Gopalan has instructed electoral registration officers to conduct proper verification before deleting names from the state's electoral roll.
Around 980,000 names were shortlisted for deletion this year, leading to a surge in complaints about the process.
Additional chief electoral officer Sushanta Kumar Mishra has asked EROs to verify deceased voters' names only after thorough verification, preferably based on Form-7 applications submitted by family members or close relatives.
Officials must also send notices to the voter's last known address before any deletion is carried out.
EROs have been directed to verify demographically similar entries and issue notices to electors where duplication or doubtful matches are suspected.
The revised guidelines require officials to physically verify at least 50% of Form-7 applications received after April 2 by contacting applicants directly.
EROs will also be required to submit written certification confirming that at least half of the cases were physically verified and that the prescribed procedures were followed prior to deletions.
