The Odisha government just took a major step ahead of the nationwide Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls set for July 1. They've announced a strict ban on transferring or posting any officials involved in election work.

Chief Secretary Anu Garg issued the order on Wednesday, sending an official note across all departments. The directive comes straight from the Election Commission of India (ECI) and aims to keep the election machinery steady-so the upcoming voter list updates and verifications run smoothly, transparently, and on schedule in every district.

This ban covers a whole range of election functionaries. Nobody in these roles can be transferred during the SIR preparations without explicit clearance from the ECI, routed through Odisha's Chief Electoral Officer. The freeze hits positions like District Election Officers and Collectors, the DEO and Commissioner of the Bhubaneswar Municipal Corporation, Electoral Registration Officers, Assistant Electoral Registration Officers, Deputy Collectors (Elections), BLO Supervisors, and Booth Level Officers.

The state doesn't want any disruption while officials spread out to verify voter data, correct records, or add new voters. To keep things running, the government told every department to fill any election-related vacancies right away, and make it a priority. The Chief Secretary also told departments to give enough people and administrative help to election officers, so they can handle the huge workload coming with the revision.

There's also a new rule to boost accountability and efficiency: no officer can be loaded up with multiple ERO or AERO responsibilities at once anymore. And one more thing-the official note stressed that no officer involved in SIR prep can be transferred without the ECI's direct approval. It's all about building a stable, uninterrupted framework as Odisha gets ready to overhaul its voter lists.