Uttar Pradesh: ECI holds workshop in Varanasi on FLC of EVMs, VVPATs ahead of polls
Varanasi, September 12
In accordance with the directives and intentions of the Election Commission of India, a special workshop on First Level Check of Electronic Voting Machines and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail was held in the Circuit House auditorium in Varanasi on September 11, under the chairmanship of Manish Garg, Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India.
Training on technical and administrative procedures was provided to concerned officials and personnel regarding First Level Checking (FLC) of EVMs and VVPATs.
Speaking to ANI, UP Chief Election Commissioner, Navdeep Rinwa, said, "We can say that today is the first step in the preparation of our electronic voting machines for the upcoming assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh. District election officers from six divisions of eastern Uttar Pradesh have been called to Varanasi for the FLC workshop. Our BL engineers oversee this entire process, and the participation of recognised political parties is ensured."
"The entire process is also explained, including the machines, and it is ensured that people are satisfied in every way that the machines that will be used in the upcoming elections are working properly. The instructions of the Election Commission of India will be followed to the letter, and when this FLC is conducted, the officers from other states will also be present there. The District Election Officer monitors the FLC process every day through an FLC supervisor, a senior-level officer, but the District Election Officer also visits every day to see that no mistake is being made," he added.
The objective of the workshop was to provide training to the concerned officials and personnel on technical and administrative procedures related to the proposed First Level Check (FLC) of EVMs and VVPATs in the districts.
District Election Officers, Deputy District Election Officers, and FLC Supervisors from a total of 21 districts, including Varanasi, Jaunpur, Ghazipur, Chandauli, Mirzapur, Sonbhadra, Bhadohi, Prayagraj, Pratapgarh, Fatehpur, Kaushambi, Azamgarh, Ballia, Mau, Gorakhpur, Deoria, Maharajganj, Gonda, Sant Kabir Nagar, Basti, and Siddharthnagar, participated in the workshop.
During the workshop, the Senior Deputy Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India, provided guidance on key points.
The Chief Electoral Officer and other senior officials provided information on the necessary guidelines and precautions related to the EVM and VVPAT (FLC) process. Presentations were also made regarding technical and administrative security measures for EVMs, the FLC process, and the role of officials and master trainers at various levels.
A sufficient number of EVMs and VVPATs were made available at the workshop site, where expert engineers from BEL provided practical demonstrations of machine operation and the FLC process.
Following this, participants were given hands-on training and practised operating the machines and following the prescribed procedures. Participants actively participated in the hands-on training, understanding the technical and practical aspects of EVMs and VVPATs.
At the end of the training, participants were evaluated, and their questions and queries were resolved through a doubt-clearing session.
At the conclusion of the workshop, special emphasis was placed on the officials conducting the FLC process with due protocol, transparency, and caution.
The workshop was attended by the District Election Officer, Deputy District Election Officer/FLC Supervisor, Master Trainer, BEL experts, and other concerned officials.
— ANI
Leave a comment