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The workshop was held on ‘First Level Checking’ of EVMs and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail machines
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The Election Commission of India has deputed two officials to state to impart training to the Collectors on the process of FLC
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The FLC of EVMs and VVPATs will be first held in 10 districts in the first week of September
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Hyderabad-based Electronics Corporation of India Limited has provided machines to the state
Bhubaneswar: Even as speculations are rife over early elections in the state, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), Odisha, has already started full preparedness for the upcoming general election.
CEO Surendra Kumar Friday held a workshop of all district Collectors on ‘First Level Checking’ (FLC) of electronic voting machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) machines here at Gopabandhu Academy here Friday.
The Election Commission of India has deputed two officials to state to impart training to the Collectors on the process of the FLC. Later, from the first week of September, such trainings will continue at district-level.
“Today, the Election Commission of India has deputed officials here to impart training on the mandatory First Level Checking (FLC) of the electronic voting machines (EVMs) in which all the physical electronic functioning of the machines are checked,” Kumar told the media.
District Collectors, who are also the District Election Officer (DEO), are the FLC supervisor and Friday’s training was meant for that, he said.
In the first phase, the FLC of EVMs and VVPATs will be first held in 10 districts in the first week of September, while training in the remaining 20 districts will be taken in the second week of September, Kumar stated.
Hyderabad-based Electronics Corporation of India Limited has provided machines to the state. Therefore, their technical personnel led by a team leader will come to state for the conducting the checking at district-level in the presence of representatives of all recognised political parties at the warehouse, he added.
Puri Collector Jyotiprakash Das said, “To ensure transparency and error free election, the DEO must have adequate knowledge regarding the entire election process. Such trainings will help us in this regard.”
Cuttack Collector Arvind Agrawal said, “Being the DEO all requisite knowledge and training ought to be availed regarding the processes of election mechanism. It is because new situations arise and need to be tackled. Hence, we need to assess well in advance for the solutions.”
Notably, the VVPAT was used for the first time during the Bijepur by-election in Odisha this year, while it will be used in all booths during the next 2019 general elections.
