Meeting assesses Punjab Vidhan Sabha poll preparedness

Chandigarh: A delegation comprising Senior Deputy Election Commissioners, Director Generals and other senior officials of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday held a review meeting with the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Punjab, the state police nodal officer and representatives of various Central and state enforcement agencies to assess preparedness for the upcoming Vidhan Sabha elections.

The day also witnessed the successful conduct of a First Level Checking (FLC) workshop aimed at training officials and personnel in the technical and administrative procedures associated with the checking of Electronic Voting Machines (EVMs) and Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail (VVPAT) units.

During the workshop, the CEO, Punjab, informed that the FLC process across districts would commence on November 12 and be carried out with complete transparency in accordance with ECI guidelines.

The process will remain under strict daily monitoring by the respective District Election Officers to ensure compliance with prescribed procedures.

Expert engineers from Bharat Electronics Limited (BEL) conducted practical demonstrations and hands-on training sessions to familiarise participants with the technical aspects of FLC.

The workshop also included an evaluation exercise and a dedicated session to address queries and clarify doubts. The workshop was attended by District Election Officers, Additional District Election Officers, FLC Nodal Officers, Master Trainers, BEL experts and other officials concerned with the process.

Special emphasis was placed on adhering to established protocols and ensuring the highest standards of transparency, accuracy and caution throughout the FLC process.

Following the workshop, a review meeting was held with enforcement agencies to assess their preparedness and coordination for the upcoming elections.

The meeting focused on ensuring the active involvement of all enforcement agencies to facilitate the smooth, fair and transparent conduct of the electoral process.

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