Archive · 2 Oct 2026
Odisha Chief Electoral Officer Seeks VRS After Final Voter Roll
R S Gopalan, Odisha’s chief election officer, asked to retire early from government service.
He made the request after a voter-list checking exercise called the SIR was completed.
Gopalan said he wanted to focus on personal matters and his family.
He also said he would stay in Bhubaneswar until his son finishes school.
He said he had completed 25 years of government service.
The final voter list was published on September 21 and has about 3.16 crore voters.
Opposition parties questioned why he sought retirement soon afterward.
They alleged that voters were removed and that he may have faced pressure, but Gopalan and the state law minister rejected that explanation.
Odisha CEO R S Gopalan applied for voluntary retirement days after the SIR process ended.
The 2001-batch IAS officer said he had completed 25 years of government service.
Gopalan said the decision was personal and unrelated to the SIR controversy or opposition demands.
He planned to apply after the final voter roll was published on September 21.
The BJD and Congress questioned the timing, citing alleged voter exclusions and possible pressure.
- Who
- R S Gopalan, Odisha’s chief electoral officer and a 2001-batch IAS officer.
- What
- Gopalan applied for voluntary retirement from government service.
- When
- He applied days after the final voter roll was published on September 21; he said he completed 25 years of service on September 2.
- Where
- Odisha; Gopalan said he would remain in Bhubaneswar for his son’s schooling.
- Why
- Gopalan cited personal and family reasons, while opposition parties questioned whether the decision was connected to the SIR controversy.
Opposition concerns
Gopalan and government response
Timing of the VRS request
Opposition concerns
The BJD and Congress questioned why Gopalan sought voluntary retirement less than two years before his scheduled retirement. Congress leader Bhakta Charan Das and BJD leader Arun Kumar Sahoo suggested he may have faced pressure or wanted to avoid a difficult situation.
Gopalan and government response
Gopalan said he had completed 25 years of service and had planned to apply after publication of the final voter roll. Law Minister Prithiviraj Harichandan said seeking voluntary retirement was the officer’s right and should not be politicised.
Connection to the SIR controversy
Opposition concerns
Opposition parties linked the timing of the request to criticism of the Special Intensive Revision and alleged that more than 27.50 lakh voters had been excluded. The BJD also alleged that voter data had been manipulated.
Gopalan and government response
Gopalan said the VRS decision had nothing to do with the SIR exercise. He said the process was completed successfully, that he acted impartially and that he faced no pressure.
Pressure on officials
Opposition concerns
Congress and BJD leaders suggested that pressure from the BJP governments or senior officials may have influenced Gopalan’s decision.
Gopalan and government response
Gopalan denied such a connection, while the Odisha law minister described the application as a personal matter.
- Official
- R S Gopalan
- Current roles
- Odisha chief electoral officer and additional Secretary of the Excise Department
- Service batch
- 2001-batch IAS officer
- Service milestone
- Completed 25 years of government service on September 2
- Scheduled retirement
- June 2028, nearly 21 months after the VRS request
- Final voter roll
- Around 3.16 crore voters; published on September 21
- Stated reason
- Personal matters, family commitments and his son’s education
- Opposition allegation
- The BJD alleged that more than 27.50 lakh voters were excluded during the SIR process
